Believer

The moment Revaz had gotten her back into the house he had made his intentions very clear. No sooner that she had been released from the pains of her bindings that he had striped her naked and forced her into the bathroom, demanding that she clean herself off. There was little feeling in his voice, but the flinch she noticed as his fingers brushed across the angry red marks that covered her wrists suggested something lingered beneath that cool exterior of his. He just wouldn't let her see. Because he hated her. Though she wept softly the whole time she manage to scrub at the dirt stains that marred her body. Though no matter how much soap she lathered onto her skin nothing could shake the disturbing memory of Thamar touching her, or the vivid realization of just how angry Revaz was with her.

“I'm sorry. I;m really sorry!” She had blubbered when she emerged dripping wet an hour later with nothing other than a flimsy towel covering her body. He'd scooped her up without so much as a word and carried her into one of the bedrooms. Why she attempted to finish drying herself off he rifled loudly through dresser drawers and the closest. From the corner of her eye she watched as he selected a few items and tossed them in her direction. He remained completely hostile all the while he was silently beckoning her to put on whatever was thrown at her. She obeyed without question having all but given up on the little defiant games she had played in the past. Revaz was thoroughly enraged. She could tell by the resentful look he cast in her direction every now and then. He hated her for running off, and perhaps even more-so for stabbing him in the hand and simply leaving him to bleed on the floor.

“If you were truly sorry you would not have run away.” He scorned her from the other side of the room. As she pulled on the lacy white panties he'd strewn in her direction she looked up and saw that he had stepped out into the hallway. The sounds of heavy footsteps and riffling through cupboards let her know he was somewhere down the hall but Victoria was far too frightened to go see what he was doing. The skirt he had given her was uncomfortably short. It rode too far above her knees causing her face to burn softly with embarrassment. She was almost finished dressing herself when he returned with a black box tucked under one arm. Out of the corner of her eye she watched his movements and despaired at the calmness he displayed.

“Do you even care about what happened to me?” She whispered as a trail of goosebumps traveled down her stomach. Every time she thought she was at peace the memory of Thamar would return. It made her blood run cold in ways she had never experienced before. Though she was very thankful that Revaz had prevented anything serious from happening her imagination could not help but mull over the various scenarios that might of occurred. “Or what might have happened...”

It took a moment for him to reply, but when he did with was with alarming clarity. “Had I not been concerned in regards to your safety, would I have still come to your rescue?” She heard him say as he placed the box onto the very foot of the bed. “It seems that you are merely seeking clarification because you are not pleased by the fact that you are not the centre of my concern.”

“Do you really blame me?” She had her back facing him but she listened curiously to the rattling noises as he lifted the lid of the box and began to pull something out of it. “I almost got raped and the only thing you can think of as a reaction to the event is slapping me. Was that really the only thing you could think of?”

“Perhaps I was reacting incoherently, I really do not know.” He mused. “I did not strike you as an initial reaction to the assault but as a response to your behaviour prior to the attack. Thamar's assault was unsuccessful, and over time you will recover from it. You assault on me however has damaged the stability of my species as well as yours. The Belderi were looking for en excuse to take over the project. Your little moment of rebellion, as well as my attack against Thamar, may place both of our species in dire jeopardy.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked as she reached for the towel she had been using to cover herself earlier and began to dry her hair with it.

“The Belderi know the way to your planet Victoria. If they can prove that our slow approach towards intermingling our species is not working it provides them with an excuse to terminate the entire project and simply conquer your world. They will reap your planet of it's resources. Males will become labourers, females will be rounded up and bred amongst the Belderi like cattle. Their species will survive in that way, but the method would completely destroy your home world. Everyone you know will be affected by it.”

“Oh god. I didn't even think about that.” Victoria gnawed at her bottom lip anxiously as she mulled over the information in her head. She thought about her parents for awhile. Her father was always a hard working man, but she could not stand the idea of him being worked to death by someone like Thamar. As much as she had disliked her fathers obsession with UFO's he had never done anything truly terrible to her. Then there was her mother...

“What will they do with females that cannot have children?” Her voice quivered gently through the air as she wrung the end of her shirt between her hands. “My mother...she can't have anymore. What would happen to her in the Belderi invaded earth?”

“It is difficult to say. But perhaps we shall never have to learn the answer.” She heard something rattle softly as he approached her. It sounded like something he was carrying but she could not bring herself to turn around and see what it was. All she could think about was the wretched grief she had bestowed upon her parents. If Revaz's words came true they would never forgive her, and as distant as she had been from them, Victoria had always found comfort deep down inside, knowing that they were two people who would always love her regardless of who she became. “For now, I need to keep you under control.” She was so lost in her train of thought that she paid little attention when Revaz took her by the shoulders and turned her around. It wasn't until she felt something cold on her wrists that her pulse quickened like a jack rabbit.

“No! Please!” She exclaimed in horror as she watched him bind her hands together with a length of chain. It was thin, and it clanked softly as he wound it around her. Working like a spider spinning away at it's web he ignored her pitiful screams of terror. Every time she backed away he simply followed until she was scrunched up against one of the bedroom walls with nowhere else to go. “Revaz don't do this!!” She hated the weak and vulnerable sensations that were brought about by him tying her wrists together. As delicate as the chains were they held together like steel and dug into her flesh when she struggled against them. Ten minutes of anguished struggling resulting in nothing other than Victoria being unable to pick herself up off the floor.

“I do not have any other choice.” She heard him speak as she stared at his boots numbly. The chains were as cold as ice against her bare skin and she shivered as she rolled herself over onto her back. He was lingering right beside her, staring down at her with a stone-like expression. “I can no longer trust you not to run away from me, nor can I afford to have you violently lashing out at me again.”

“How do you expect me to live like this?” She winced when she saw him reach out to adjust the gauze that was adorning the wounded part of his hand. “I can't even get up with my hands all tied together like this!”

“Learn to adjust. It is how sensible beings react to change.”

It was quite possibly the first time she had ever given up on a subject without causing a fuss. The silence was peaceful. Much more so than the screams she might have made in the past. Silence washed over the room as he helped her onto the bed without a word. The softness of the mattress was a dramatic change from sleeping on concrete and stone like she had for the past couple of days. Rolling herself over onto her side she watched him turn away and leave. Darkness swallowed the room as he closed the door behind him but she was not afraid for some reason. All she could think about was how tired she was. Closing her eyes Victoria let out a feeble sigh and eventually she drifted off into a deep sleep.

It was a fulfilling rest to say the least. She was not disturbed by any nightmares through at one point she stirred when she felt some sort of draft sweep across her skin. It faded away too quickly for her to care and though she tossed and turned many times in the midst of her slumber she awoke several hours later feeling surprisingly rejuvenated. That was not the only 'surprise' waiting for her however. As she rolled herself over onto her back she was met by the intense horror of a dark figure leering near the foot of the bed. “Revaz?!” She squeaked in alarm. The soft clank of chains reminded her that her arms were still tightly bound and she winced as she felt them dig into her already sore and chaffed skin.

“You managed to get some sleep. That is good.” The masculine voice spoke to her through the darkness. She imagined him watching her with that placid expression he always used. Perhaps he wasn't even blinking again and his eyes were glazed over to appear as void of personality as possible. She imagined it with an alarming sense of fondness as he stood there lingering next to the bed like a ghost. “I expected you to put up more of a fight about the situation you have been placed into. You seem very resilient when facing any signs of change.”

“I'm tired.” She whispered into the darkness. Her eyes were fixed onto the ceiling now. Watching him was no longer worth the effort now that she had reassured herself nothing was going to happen. “I'm tired of fighting you. I'm tired of having such poor luck. It's not worth the effort. Not anymore at least..” The pads of her fingertips pressed together gently and she found herself able to smile in spite of the situation. “You're really scary when you're pissed off anyways. I never want to see that vicious look in you gave me when we were in the forest ever again. It's too creepy.”

There was a pause of silence as he mulled over her words. She thought she heard the sound of the floorboards creak as he shuffled a little closer to her but quickly dismissed the sounds as figments of her own imagination. “I do not know what to conclude.” He said with just a hint of a sigh. “I am pleased to know that you will not be kicking and screaming at every moment we come to a disagreement. But a part of me wonders if you obedience came at the expense of everything else about you.”

“Does it really matter anymore?” She groaned as the depths of her mind prayed for him to go away so that she could be pulled back into the warm embrace of sleep once again. “You didn't pluck me from my planet to yell at you.”

“That is not what I meant.” This time his sigh was louder and laced with bits of unclear anger and frustration. Her ears perked at the alarming display of emotion from him. Mentally she scanned over everything she had said to him in some attempt to uncover what she might have said that would have triggered the change in his composure. “And this has nothing to do with that you are saying either.” He chided, having no doubt probed into her thoughts while she was frozen stiff from fear. “Your words do not offend me. The fact that you have allowed every aspect of your feelings to fly away with your stubbornness that bothers me. I did not take you from your planet to be a hollowed out shell either.”

“Why not? That's exactly what you are; hollow and empty. It's familiar to you at least.” She scoffed a little as she listened to him. Victoria hadn't the slightest idea what to feel at this point. Her hands fumbled through the darkness in search of something to do. When they found a lock of hair they began to needlessly twirl it. All the while she mused over her supposed 'future' with feelings of only numbness. “It's strange but I somehow feel as though I've died. Everything I had before I met you is all gone now, including everything I've ever felt about myself. Yet...I'm not sad.” Squinting her eyes she continued to stare up at the ceiling. All the while she told herself that doing so would help ease some of the stabbing pain that had suddenly formed in her stomach. Her eyes watered but no tears would fall from her eyes no matter how long she waited for the. There was no more sadness left for her to shed. Not in front of Revaz. “If I never showed any emotion for the rest of my life would you really miss it?”

“Victoria...it was because you were so emotional that I was so drawn to you.” The bedsprings creaked softly as he sat down at the foot of the bed. His close presence made her feel just a little more alert but she did not flood with the same alarm that she had in the past. She blinked as her mind fogged over with a dizzying amount of numbness. She wanted to sit up and scream at him, or hiss and shout at him for being such a liar. But she found that the only thing she could muster the effort to do was scoff.

“You're full of crap Revaz.”

“Do you truly think so?” His tone perked with the inquiry of his question and she felt the mattress shift again when he turned around to face her. “There are millions of female specimens on your planet. I could have sought out and chosen any one of them as my mate but I selected you instead. I dd not even bother to look for any other possible spouses after I met you. Your turbulent personality compelled me to stay. I was not used to the abrupt and intense emotions that you displayed when we first started to interact. Being around you was...enthralling.”

“Are you really trying to suggest that you got a rise out of listening to me bitch and whine?” She bit down on the corner of her bottom lip to suppress the delirious giggle that wanted to come out of her. “That sounds like a load of bull to me. Even my own parents don't enjoy listening to my melodrama.”

“I was not accustomed to it when we first met. It was something completely new to me, which was why I became so fascinated with you.” His hand moved across the surface of the mattress until it brushed against one of her legs. “I did not pick you simply because of the obligations I had towards my mission. It was the fact that I fell in love with you that determined why I chose you. If I had only wanted an incubator, who would do and say everything that I wanted, I would have selected anyone else.”

There was a familiar stirring in the core of her body where a dull ache had once resided. The room felt much smaller to her now, as though the walls had begun to close in on them. “You're telling me the truth.” She whispered as she rolled herself over onto her side. “I didn't believe it when this mess first started. I thought you were only saying it because you knew that it was the 'nice' thing to say. But now...I know it's the truth. It has to be.” Her hands strained as she clasped into the pillow her head had been resting on. He said nothing in response to her words although she could feel him shifting uncomfortably on the bed as though he wanted to.

With the very tips of his fingers he trace along the back of one of her legs. The sensation sent shivers all throughout her body but Victoria did not protest the interaction. Like a person dipping their toe into the edge of a lake to see how cool the water is he tested her tolerance slowly. It started with only a few fingers brushing against her skin. Then a few more. And then finally his entire hand works it way rhythmically along the surface of her skin, stopping just before the hem of her skirt. All the while Victoria remained perfectly still and silent. Though she did not truly enjoy the affection she was not able to object to it either. Instead she stared off into the darkness, thinking over everything they had said to one another.

“I do not like this sadness that has attached itself to you.” She heard him say as he took her by the waist and rolled her over onto her back. Loose bits of hair fell over her eyes and her wrists burned with the aching sensation of being tightly bound for so long but still she said nothing. It was not until his hands, that traveled unseen through the blackness, dipped beneath the hem of her skirt to massage the insides of her thighs that her lips parted to allow a gentle gasp to escape. Though her legs were helplessly quivering he did not seem to notice. With the palms of his hands pressed against the very tops of her knees he guided them open, pushing them apart inch by inch until they were as far as they could go. Victoria said nothing the entire time although a sensation within her stomach made it feel like if she opened her mouth a swarm of butterflies would come flying out.

It was just his hands that she had to worry about at first. As they massaged the tense muscles and teased some of the most sensitive skin on her body his head remained perched on top of her knee. She wanted to say something but her lips felt like they had been wired shut. Her body tingled as his fingertips reached beneath the hem of her skirt. She held her breath when they hooked around the edge of her panties. He kissed the very top of her knee as he gave them a playful tug, testing her as though to see how much she could stand. That part didn't frighten her. It was when his head abruptly moved and dipped between her legs that the panic rose in the very centre of her mind.

She did not even know where the initial 'fear' was coming from. She knew that Revaz would not hurt her. But with her hands bound and rendering her completely defenceless all she thought about was Thamar and everything he had tried to do to her. In her mind she imagined him so vividly that she recalled every detail of his being. The way he had roughly touched her. The disgusting warmth of his skin. The sinking feeling in her stomach when she imagined what he was attempting to do to her. The memories all become so clear that for just a moment she felt like she was back there in those woods with Thamar and the panic shot through her body like a thousand volts of electricity. She struggled when Revaz made him intentions clear. It was the most dreadful choice she could have made, for the moment her knees jerked from the panic that surged through her body one of them smashed against the side of his face. It only took one blow and that was enough. One sharp impact and blood began to trickle out of his nose. She knew only because she felt it. Her stomach heaved with despair and disgust at her own actions but she could think of nothing to say that might have excused her behaviour.

Revaz grunted as blood dripped onto the bed in front of him. She thought he was looking at her but could not be certain. He said nothing about what had happened but sighed, as though just realizing the source of her attack against him. “Good night Victoria.” She heard him say as he climbed off of the bed and retreated from the room. As he closed the door behind him Victoria felt the icy barrier she had built around her emotions melt away. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes but she did not make a sound. She just let them flow down her skin and onto the pillows. She let herself cry and cry until her eyes were sore and felt like someone had rubbed sandpaper against them. And then she cried some more, until she was all out of tears and the feelings of anguish that had built up inside of her since she had set foot on this forsaken planet were all washed away. Then at last she closed her eyes and drifted off into another deep sleep.

It was morning when she opened them again and though it felt like days had passed she still felt as exhausted waking up as she had been when she first fell asleep. For an hour she lay with her eyes closed in bed, pondering over whether it was worth the effort to even try getting up. Her hands were still bound after all, and even getting out into the hallway would have been quite an extraordinary task for her. With one foot dangling onto the floor she was tramped in a limbo between sleep and consciousness. The only thing that spared her from remaining in this state was the sound of the door opening.

“It is good to see you finally awake.” Revaz said as she forced herself to open her eyes. Sitting up proved to be a lot harder than she anticipated, yet somehow she managed to do it. The strain that it forced upon her arms reminded her of how much her skin ached where the chains were still bound across it. She didn't say anything but smiled when she caught a glimpse of him lingering on the opposite side of the room. In spite of all the drama and the strain that had happened between them over the past few weeks Victoria felt a surprising jolt of excitement upon seeing Revaz. The response that he gave her was one of uncertainty, and perhaps just a hint of surprise, as his head slowly tilted to one side in reaction to her little gesture. “I came to help you prepare.” He continued after the initial shock had worn off. “You will be coming with me to my work again. However I had to assure my colleagues that there would be no more needless drama. There has been a rise in distrust against your species after you attacked me. Your hands will have to remained chained.”

The morning ritual they went about together seemed like it was dragging on forever. With a twinge of reluctance Revaz untied her hands and allowed her the freedom to wander about the house for a few hours. A long bath relaxed all the aches and tensions that seemed to plague her body and a light breakfast eased the gnawing pain that was still persistent in the pit of her stomach. Like a menacing wart on her foot Victoria had no choice but to acknowledge the sensation as the pangs of guilt that had bothered her throughout the previous night. Revaz's nose seemed fine though she noticed that his hands seemed to wander towards his face more frequently that particular morning. Once when she pretended to not be looking he unrolled a but of the gauze covering his hand and revealed the ghastly wound that had been hiding beneath it. It took every nerve in her body to hold back the bile that rose in her throat from catching a glimpse of it.

Uninspired and not much for making choices at the moment, she opted to wear the same top Revaz had given her the night before after giving the underarms a good scrubbing in the bathroom with a little soap and a washcloth. The skirt however was thrown back into the dark abyss of the closest it had come out of and as she pulled on a fresh pair of underwear she secretly hoped she would never have to endure wearing it again. It was replaced by a more “modest” looking skirt that went down past her knees. It clung a little to her body but gave the silhouette of a girl whom you might see working behind the desk of a library and left absolutely nothing to desire.

Revaz appeared shortly after she had finished with her little 'routine' adorned in the staunch and ambiguous white uniform he always wore to work. Conversation between them was almost entirely absent now. Revaz had very few things to talk about while he chained her hands together and guided her out the door. A tension was growing between them. Like the night before Victoria allowed herself to go completely numb. She blocked out any emotion or concern as she was guided along like an animal through the empty city streets. The outline of the hospital up ahead reminded her of all the things she had recently done and her own ill fate on this world.

Andrea was not at her desk where she should have been. A thin layer of dust over it's black surface indicated that it had not been used for at least a few days and her stomach clenched up with guilt once more. Without a doubt Victoria's actions had something to do with the absence of her friend. “She was the only individual that took your side when your absence first became known within this building.” Revaz explained as though sensing her alarm. “She reasoned that it was a natural reaction towards the stress of the situation you had been placed into. Her opinions were not taken with any genuine consideration however and it caused stress in her and Tariels relationship. A few days ago she was removed from her post after she had begun to refuse to do any work.”

It was surprising, however, that Revaz guided her up to the door that she and Andrea had never been allowed to go near in the past. “So where is she now? ” She dared to ask as the door groaned open and they stepped into the room that had been hidden behind it. From what she could tell it was some sort of a laboratory. Though several other Azrac's were inside none of them seemed to acknowledge her or Revaz and continued to work through the sound of their chatter.

“She has been placed in the same position that you are in.” Was what Revaz said in response to her question. He guided her down a hallway that was located on the opposite end of the lab, ignoring the way that Victoria gaped at everything around her. The figures that shuffled past them in the hallway all possessed the same monotone reaction towards her. Florescent lights hanging from the ceiling gave everything an eerie glow and rendered the skin of everyone who passed under them sickly and pale looking. “The Belderi ceased trusting her when they became aware of your violence towards me. Their requirements for her to remain in the facility on a daily basis was that her hands were bound.”

The room they entered was another research area similar to the first one they had been in. The only difference was that there were fewer individuals and it was slightly smaller. Coincidentally Andrea was present though she didn't seem very pleased by the fact. She was seated in a chair in the corner of the room with her shoulders slumped and her hands tied together with chains eerily similar to the ones that were around Victoria's. Her lips were scrunched together to form a pout and though Tariel was standing very close to her she refused to even look at him. Her expression softened a little when her eyes darted around the room and took notice in Victoria. She seemed to be concerned about something. Something that Victoria herself wasn't even sure she knew.

“So he found you again did he?” She murmured as Revaz forced Victoria into a chair beside hers. Andrea's tone was anything but joyous. Her hands were clenched tightly together and she narrowed her eyes when Tariel's hand reached out to her. She flinched and for a moment the angry wall that she had built up around her weakened, revealing just a twinge of the sorrow that she must have been desperately trying to hide. “They will not listen to us anymore. “ She said while fidgeting in her seat. “Thamar has become their king now. They obey his every command. Even if it means hurting the ones they love.”

“Andrea, that is enough!” Tariel hissed softly as he planted a hand onto her shoulder. Victoria was surprised by the way that she flinched and the misery that flooded her eyes.

“What is she talking about?' Victoria whispered as she sheepishly looked up at the two males that loomed beside them. Neither of them said anything in response to her question but stared blankly at her. The door opened again, only this time the figure that stepped inside made everyone in the room lift their heads in curiosity. Victoria felt her blood run cold as she saw him pacing across the room, smirking in her direction like a feral cat on the prowl. She thought she was going to throw up. The only thing keeping her from doing so was her self-restraint and the fact that Revaz stepped in front of her the moment the sensations began.

“It is good to see that both of our medical engineers are here today.” Thamar spoke in a tone that almost seemed to mock the other two men as he paused in front of them. “I was concerned that one of you might have failed to shoe up today given the current circumstances of your profession.” His eyes settled on Andrea, noting her obvious despair, and a twisted smile formed across his face. “I was told to inform both of you that the Belderi are considering disbanding your entire research project but I suppose that is already common knowledge to you both.”

“Mass takeover of another planet will not assist your species in it's population crisis. You will only be destroying another species alongside your own.” Revaz hissed through gritted teeth as he narrowed his eyes at Thamar. “The Azrac's have made it very clear that if your species pulls out of the project we will not allow you to have the coordinates to Gaia.” Thamar frowned at him, seemingly annoyed by his response, though he quickly recovered when he heard the sound of Andrea sighing.

“She has been here the longest has she not?” He said while nodding at her. Neither of the men standing in front of him said anything but he appeared to take their silence as a form of an answer. “In the amount of time she has been here she was failed to conceive. My kin has begun to question whether she is a suitable specimen when taking into account “uncleanly” way she lived on her home planet. Perhaps her body is plagued by a wretched disease that has rendered her useless for child rearing. There would be no point in keeping her if that were the case.” Victoria glanced over at Andrea whose eyes were beginning to water. Her hands were clenched up again but she choose to say nothing in her own defence.

“There is nothing wrong with Andrea.” Tariel responded in an icy tone. He looked at Thamar in a way that made Victoria wonder if he was trying to muster the nerve not to strangle the other male. “She was physically examined numerous times by both myself and various other staff members within this facility and none of them found any signs of disease or ailment. Conception is not an instant occurrence.”

Thamar nodded his head, agreeing with Tariel's words though not entirely convinced by them. “Perhaps it is you then.” He suggested, grinning widely when Tariel shot him a look of surprise. “That one was brought here some time ago by Revaz and in spite of being in the most fertile stage of her life she too has failed to conceived.” As he said this he pointed to Victoria, rendering her to the same amount of importance as a lab mouse and making her feel extremely pitiful. “The Azrac were always poor breeders. Perhaps this experiment is proof of your faulty reproduction abilities.”

“We are not “faulty”, we are simply patient.” Revaz responded, blatantly annoying Thamar, who seemed to be craving a negative response from him. “Gaian's do not bond or select mates the same way that our species does. It took a generous amount of time for Andrea to adjust to being Tariel's mate, while Victoria has not properly adjusted to being mine. It is unjust to judge them based on the time period they have been here. Most of that time was spent in adjustment to a new life, which is not a simple transition.”

“Intimacy is a large part of bonding and mate selection within both of your species is it not?” Thamar questioned while tilted his head to one side. “Tariel was intimate with his “specimen” prior to even bringing her to this planet and yet she has not produced a child yet.” He paused for a moment, allowing a moment of silence to pass so that the tension that had risen between the three males would strain just a little more. “Perhaps it is a lack of intimacy then...”

“That is enough!” Tariel reacted towards the suggestion by lunging forward. It is wasn't for Revaz placing his arm out to block him Thamar might have been tackled to the ground. Which he probably deserved at this point after intentionally provoking both of them with his subtle insults and offending implications.

Thamar was not impressed by the threat of violence and yawned mockingly as he stepped back from them. “Such is the fate of the Azrac's. Your 'bonding' rituals are so time consuming and your laws against violence and force so strict that I wouldn't be surprised in neither of you has actually been intimate with those...'things'.” He emphasized the word 'things' of course and frowned at Andrea and Victoria when he said it. “I was told by my superiors several hours ago that I was required to tell you that the Belderi have begun to suspect this. And since you have both been demoted from authority over the research it is now my say in what goes on within this building.” Placing his hands of his hips he grinned smugly at them. “If there is no progress within a week I will begin to enforce stricter rules on this little project. Your days of pampering and cooing over your human mates are limited. Be prepared for that.”

It was very clear that both Tariel and Revaz were shaken up by the Belderi's threats. Even after Thamar had sauntered out of the room they remained stiff and silent. Nervously Tariel looked over at Revaz's, casting him a look as though he was expecting to hear some sort of reassurance. But of course Revaz did not have any. That had vanished with his reputation just like his authority. And now, seated awkwardly behind them and trying her best not to make a sound, Victoria became fully aware of the extent of the damage she had done.

Thamar's threat haunted her for a long time afterwards. While Revaz left her where she sat and appeared to be working within the room that he had brought her into Tariel seemed too distracted. On occasion he lifted up clipboards and flipped through them but for the most part he stared off into nothingness, zoning out like a teenager in a dull mathematics class. Andrea sighed as they huddled together and observed the two males drifting around the lab. “They're pissed off because what he said was true.” She muttered to Victoria after awhile. “Azrac's take a long time bonding with whoever they decide to mate with. Even though I fucked Tariel the first night we met after he abducted me I wouldn't let him come near me for months.” Her lips twitched a little, forming a bit of a pout as she looked over at the man she was supposed to be 'bonded' with. “I don't know why I'm not pregnant yet. But Thamar could be right. It might be that I'm just too messed up inside to have any...”

Victoria wished that her hands were free at that moment. She would have given anything to have been able to give Andrea a hug. The look in her eyes was unbearable to watch. She didn't cry. But Victoria could tell by her expression that a lot of sadness had been released when Thamar had brought up the subject of her former life. “It's not your fault that you can't get pregnant Andie.” She whispered, delighted that she had picked out a nickname for her friend at least. “You can't control something like that. It either happens or it doesn't.”

“I heard you ran away because you didn't want to have children.” Andrea murmured. Victoria didn't say anything in her own defence but sighed gently as she looked down at the floor again. “I don't blame you. Revaz was being unfair by expecting you to just go along with it that quickly. You've barely been here two months. I freaked out when Tariel suggested it after being here for five months! And you're very young too...”

“I don't think it's the actual pregnancy that scares me. It's the fact that I didn't get to have any say.” Victoria answered while keeping her gazed glued to her feet. “Nobody asked me if I wanted it to happen. Everyone just assumed I was going to merrily go along with the idea and keep my mouth shut. I felt like I was some sort of animal to everyone in this hospital. And when Revaz threatened to inseminate me if I wouldn't have sex with him I just lost it. I didn't mean to hurt him though. I guess I just acted on a whim. I regret doing it now. I've only made things worse for everyone here.”

“He loves you. You know that right?”

“What?” Victoria lifted her head in surprise. For a moment she thought she might had misheard the other woman who was sitting beside her. But the weak smile that Andrea cast her when she lifted her head told her otherwise.

“Revaz. He loves you.” She explained with a heavy shrug of her shoulders.

“I'm not so sure about that...” She replied with a twinge of misery when she recalled how she had smashed her knee against Revaz's nose the previous night. After the grief and drama she'd cause he had every right to completely despise her. Scuffing her feet against the floor she wondered about what Andrea had said. Certainly he cared about. But she wasn't so sure if there was anything more to his feelings about her.

“No...” Andrea sighed while shaking her head. “Listen, before you came along I saw Revaz every single day for months on end. He never laughed. He never smiled. He never showed any expression of any kind. Even for an Azrac that is strange. They're very cold beings but they do behave warmly whenever they're around friends or their family. When he brought you here...he started smiling. If it isn't because of love then what is it?”

Andrea's words stayed with her for the next few hours while they sat together in silence. Then eventually Tariel came and took her away and Victoria found herself alone once again. Revaz did not approach her for a long time. Almost everyone else in the room was gone when he finally did. She saw his feet when he stopped in front of her and choose to keep her gaze locked on them for as long as she could. They didn't say anything to each other as he helped her up and guided her out the door.

“We need to pay a visit to my office before we leave.” He said as he guided her towards the elevator Andrea and she had used to shuffled around mail back when they still worked together. It had been a boring job, but Andrea's company had made it quite tolerable.

“I didn't know that you had an office.” She murmured as they stood together in the metal cubical waiting for it to bring them to the top floor. “Seems like it would be pretty useless considering you do most of your work in that lab area with Tariel.”

“I store most of my research notes in it. And it allows me to have a quiet place to go on the rare occasions when I want to be alone.” He explained to her with a shake of his head. “It is also where any packages, mail, or assignments are sent for me to collect. Without it I would not be able to keep track of them.”

“Oh..” Feeling a tad foolish Victoria shuffled forward. The door had already opened and she braced herself as he grabbed onto the back of her shirt and began to escort her through a series of rather confusing twists and turns. His office was located near the east side of the upper floor, tucked off into a corner where it was barely noticeable to even the most observant eyes. As he opened the door she found herself mildly surprised by the scent of dust and stale air that filled her nostrils. Though the tiny room was very organized it had not been cleaned for some time. It appeared that no one bothered to come into it to dust for him. The lamp resting on the desk that was meant to be black had a brown film across it that made her want to draw smily faces across it.

“Are you angry at me for what I did to you last night?” The moment he closed the door behind them the words seemed to fly out of her mouth. They had stayed in the back of her mind until then, waiting for the perfect moment to make their presence known. She blinked a few times in surprise at her own boldness but did not stumble around the question by changing the subject or taking it back. The truth was she wanted an answer from him. She wanted one badly.

“I was not surprised that you reacted in the way you did.” Revaz murmured while running his fingers along the edge of his desk. “It is understandable that you would be anxious and distrusting after what Thamar attempted to do to you. You were busy recovering from a violent attack. It is...understandable that it would have been fresh within your mind. I apologize for assuming you would easily forget it. I should have left you alone.”

“Hmmm...” She leaned against the side of the desk, unable to keep her balance while her arms were chained together. “Andrea and I were talking about you earlier, you know? She said something that really got me thinking. But I'm not sure if what she says is the truth or just her trying to make me feel better.” She clasped her hands together, squeezing them in tightly order to soothe her raw nerves. “She said that you love me.”

“I do. You should already know that.”

“But-” She tensed, feeling him place his hand on her shoulder. “I know that you love me in a obligated way because you need me in order to prove our species can have children together. I just didn't think that there was anything...deeper than that.” No matter how hard she tried her words came out sounding naive and foolish.

“Yes you did. You merely questioned it now because you want to feel that your bad behaviour has been brought to justice. You feel that if I were to resent or despise you for what you have done it would remove some of the guilt you feel for causing so much trouble.” His voice tremored through the air, disturbing the dust that seemed to have settled everywhere and cause the fine hairs on the back of her neck to stand up. “I do love you Victoria. If I did not you would not be here.”

She felt the fine hairs on her arm rise at the sound of his confession. It was not the first time he'd told her that he loved her. She'd heard him say so many times in the past. Most memorable to her was the time he'd whispered it as they slept together. Her stomach fluttered anxiously as she recalled not only the words but everything else that had occurred when he'd spoken them. The hand that had rested on her shoulder momentarily wandered. She felt it brush along the side of her arm, stroking the bare skin tenderly. She delighted in the warm feeling that it caused.

In a state of comfort Victoria had allowed her mind to wander to an entirely different subject. While pretending to be savouring the feeling of Revaz's fingers as they began to return to their original spot at the very top of her shoulder she recalled the events of the night before. The memory of his hands running across the insides of her thighs made her stomach quiver with excitement. Revaz had told her a lot of things last night that she had doubted. He'd lulled her into a deep pit of despair when dragging her out of the woods only to lure her out of it through gentle caresses and loving words. She'd liked the way he'd touched her then. It excited her. So much in fact that as she recalled the panic that had risen inside of her that spoiled the moment and ended with him leaving the room with a bleeding nose she found herself chewing at her bottom lip with regret.

His reaction towards her inner thoughts was surprisingly indifferent. He made no indication that he was even aware, or concerned by them. While her head was swimming with fantasies of what might of happened to her if she had not panicked the night before he began removing the chains that had been keeping her hands together. Inch by inch the purple bruises that had secretly formed across her skin were revealed. She saw them when she looked down but was not nearly as surprised by them as Revaz seemed to be. “That happens a lot to me.” She confessed with the most casual of shrugs. “I've always bruised really easily. I get that from my mother-” She was pulled out of her little rambling by the shock of something cool pressing against one of her wrists. When Victoria looked down she discovered that Revaz had leaned forward to place a kiss across the visibly damaged skin. She observed him with a mixture of curiosity and shock. The heat was rising in her body now. It started in her stomach then spread like a wildfire, leaving a tingling sensation wherever it went.

“I apologize. I did not intend to cause you such physical damage.” His lips tickled her skin as he spoke. His hands wrapped around her waist as though sensing the warm feelings that were slowly consuming Victoria on the inside. “When I agreed to the motion of binding your arms together every morning I failed to remember that your species is more...delicate than my own.”A gasp got caught in her throat as he began to work his way along the discoloured skin, leaving a trail kisses behind him. She delighted in the feeling as they brushed lightly across the surface of her flesh, teasing it with the most subtle caresses. “I do not want you to hate me.” He whispered as his lips traveled along the inside of both arms, drifting from one to other as though uncertain of which he preferred more. Victoria felt a shiver creep down her spine, reminding her of just how enthralled she was by the attention.

Whatever shame that might have been left behind by the vicious teachings of her mother had died. She felt no guilt when sh clasped her hands around the back of his head, drawing up up towards hers so that she could kiss those lips that had stirred so much excitement within her. He leaned forward intentionally, forcing her to stumble backwards until her back was pressed up against a wall. The heat rose within the pit of her stomach, reminding her of her own burning desires. A tingling sensation between her legs made her squirm uncomfortably but she could do nothing to make the feelings go away. When he pressed himself up against her it only made them worse, and when he pulled away from their kiss to sink his teeth into the fragile skin of her neck Victoria was so overwhelmed that she cried out helplessly. He flinched at the sound, pulling away when it became apparent that she could not handle the sensations.

“If this is what you truly desire, then you need to learn to relax.” He murmured as his hands slipped beneath the hem of her skirt and slowly began rolling it up. “You are allowing yourself to become far too anxious.”

“I-I-I-I can't help it.” Victoria stammered as her now untied hands fumbled blindly across the chest of the male that was pressed against her. He did not react to her fingers curiously slipped under the waistband of the pants he was wearing. While she struggled to maintain her composure he rolled her skirt up past her hip and exposed her bare legs to the dust-filled air of the office. She shivered as he gripped onto the back of her thighs, pressing his fingers into the flesh so that she could feel the scrap of his fingernails. He was hard. She could feel the stiff member pressed against her belly. His lips twitched as he hooked one finger around the bottom of her panties. The moist spot that had gathered on them was now impossible for her to hide and she flinched when she felt the very tip of that same finger reach between her folds, tantalizing the most sensitive part of her body with just a simple touch.

“Are you sure?” He asked her even as he was rolling her panties down past her knees. She felt the fragile garment slide all the way down to her feet and without even hesitating she stepped out of them. 'Of course I'm sure.' She told herself as her gazed locked onto the floor. She could hear the rustling of fabric and the heavy sound of their breathing but none of it gave her a reason to look up. He mumbled something under his breath but shew wasn't paying much attention to it. Her mind raced with giddy fantasies of things that were about to happen, and mingle together with the memories of everything she had already allowed Revaz to do. She was trapped into the midst of this dream-like state. It was only his hands, which upon the removal of her underwear reached around the back of her waist and hoisted her up, that broke the spell.

With her back still scrunched up against the rough surface of the wall she felt oddly secure as he draped both of her legs around her waist. The solid mass was built to support both of them if need be. Not an ounce of fear pulsated through her as her hands stretched out and smoothed back the strands of thick black hair that had fallen over his face. The violet hue of his eyes seemed more intense to her now. Or perhaps they had always been that striking and Victoria had simply failed to take notice in it. Either way they were the one thing that maintained her focus as she felt him slide inside of her. No words escaped her lips but instead she allowed herself to gasp feverishly as her body stretched to accommodate him. Her opening was moist. More so than she thought a woman could ever possibly be. It dripped down onto the carpet beneath them, washing a mild feeling of shame over her.

“Do not cry.” He said, well aware of the inexperience of the girl he had thrust into. Victoria whimpered, resenting her own body for all of it's weaknesses as she reached her arms around his shoulders. A wave of pleasure washed over her as she felt him thrust in and out of her. It seemed that the faster he went the more delight her body felt. She found herself enjoying the sensation of his lips as they pressed against the side of her neck, suckling lustfully at the tender flesh until she trembled. Through half lidded eyes she gazed across the room, unable to truly focus on anything other than the wonderful feeling that surged through her every time this man plunged deep into her.

“Revaz.” She murmured, acknowledging the fluttering of her own heart as tiny beads of sweat began to gather across her forehead. For the first time in her life she had welcomed his advances without any hesitation. A giddy feeling rose inside of her as she embraced this realization. She did not hate Revaz anymore. All of the childish grudges had melted away over the time she had spending learning about him. Her resolve had shattered, and knowing what she did not, she could not bring herself to pick the pieces up. She cared for him, this being she had stumbled across what seemed like ages ago. She loved him. It came so suddenly that it caused her pain.

“I'm not angry at you anymore.” She panted as the intensity of her pleasure began to rise. He was thrusting faster now. So much so that even talking was becoming difficult. “I forgive you!” She wailed as her hands buried into that wonderful mane of thick black hair. “I-I-I love you.” She hesitated, struggling to speak as her body tightened up for him. She was close now. She could feel it in the very core of her body. “Take me.” she beckoned, arching her back painfully. “Please take me!”

He complied to her wish with tremendous force. The way that he ground in and out of her just as she was reaching her peak was feverish and uncontrolled. He was aware of the yearning that she now felt as she griped onto him helplessly. In response he brought her to what was easily one of the most intense orgasms Victoria had ever felt. A sharp cry erupted from the back of her throat as every muscle in her body tensed up at once. A low growl erupted from the back of Revaz's throat as he joined her in ecstasy. Her legs quivered helplessly as he exploded inside of her, filling her with his seed. Victoria did nothing to fight it. For the moment, she could have cared less. Her thoughts had strayed beyond the fears of pregnancy, or the impending threat they threatened to bring her. Instead she remised only about the pleasure as her climax ceased and she found herself feeling completely drained.

They collapsed together onto the floor, still clinging onto each other even though the desperation had now subsided. They were complete once again,having both reached the enthralling experience of an orgasm. Victoria smiled weakly as she listened to the sounds of Revaz panting. He was full of expression now, as though being inside her breathed life into his normally stony features. He smiled when she looked up at him. Her skin tingled when he stroked the side of her cheek, murmuring something about it's softness.

“You truly are a remarkable creature.” He whispered as she leaned herself against his chest. “The intensity of your pleasure just now was...indescribable.” He paused for a moment, resting one hand on the very top of her shoulder as he leaned himself up against the side of his desk. “How does your species manage to tolerate the emotional experience of their own climax?”

“I don't know I guess we're all just naturally emotional.” She shrugged. It was difficult for her to pay attention to him now. With the weariness plaguing her body Victoria wanted nothing more than to sit there in silence waiting for her energy to return. “You're so...gentle.” She remarked as she closed her eyes.

They sat there together for a long time after that. Revaz seemed to immediately drift off into sleep but Victoria was unable to do the same. As she rested, half naked, against the man who was supposedly her mate she found herself glancing towards the door every now as then. A shadow, which had been there for some time startled her by abruptly shifting. And as she listened through the stale air of Revaz's office, she could hear the familiar sound of Thamars laughter.