Kaden

Hey everyone, Faeli here. I want to say thanks again to all the kind reviewers. I appreciate the support a lot. Of course it’s been what, half a year since the last update? XD *Is shot* I am soooooo guilty… Anyhow, I really doubt anyone’s stuck around that long… But, I finally did another update… Sorry for the short chapter. As always, please review if you have the time! ☺


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Kaden walked from one end of a passage full of doors all the way to a dead end. Nothing but rooms. He noticed there was another door at the end that was different to the other’s he had passed. Pushing it open and poking his head around the door, he saw that it led to a stairwell. He walked down a flight of steps, pulled open the door out and peeked around the door again. Still more rooms, nothing of interest.



Pouting, he raced down the next flight of steps and repeated his actions, only to be disappointed again. Giving up, he decided to simply walk all the way down first.

He looked down over the rails, sighing when he realized there were many, many more steps to go and started running down. He tore down about twelve flights before he had to stop, winded, to lean against the rails as he panted. It was musty and hot in the stairs. He knew he had many more stairs to descend and made a despairing noise.



Cold air drifted beneath the crack of the door next to him and he thought he might as well take a break. Opening it and stepping out into yet another identical passageway, he leaned against a wall and slid down. Sighing in relief at the cool air blowing down from an air-con vent just above his head. Wriggling his toes around to relief his aching feet, he dug his hands into the thick carpeting and shut his eyes.



He hoped he could find a way out soon. The thought crossed his mind a few flights of stairs ago to go back to the elevator, but he really didn’t want to trek back up all those stairs to go there again. Of course, he had no idea there was an elevator on each floor.



Flushed from his exertions, slightly sweaty, Kaden kept petting the soft red carpeting until, quite without meaning to, he dozed off.



“Hey! Are you alright?”

A shadow overhead woke Kaden up, blinking blearily up, he yawned even as he registered a strange man standing in front of him, blocking out the glare from the lighting embedded in the ceiling. Blinking, he squinted to make out the stranger’s features as he spoke again.



“What are you doing, sleeping out here?” The man had steel grey eyes and rather thin lips. Despite his warm smile and friendly manner, his eyes frightened Kaden; they seemed cold and calculating.



“Come, why don’t you stay with me instead, hmm? I’ve got a nice soft bed, you shouldn’t sleep on the floor you know.” He smiled wider, showing his teeth, coaxing Kaden like one would a small animal.



Kaden didn’t know this man but he wasn’t stupid. He was trained to spot event the slightest hints that an owner would give, signals that would tell him he was needed in bed. This man was exuding many of them; though he tried to hide his lust, and Kaden could sense the intent under the amiable veneer. His gaze lingered over his body and his voice was husky and gave away his desire.



Kaden resented the way this man treated him like an idiot, thinking he would go wherever he said just because. His tone, while trying to sooth, only irritated him and it felt like he was talking to a child, a very simple child at that. Kaden hated owners who believed all slaves were stupid because of what they were. Sometimes when selections were taking place, he had to stop himself from cringing away from prospective owners who cooed at him like he was a particularly cute infant.



So unlike his master, even though the way he treated Kaden was slightly on the cautious side, he had never insulted his intelligence. Smiling back at the stupid stranger, making his eyes large and vapid like the stereotype image the man probably subscribed to, he got up slowly never taking his eyes away from the other man’s. As soon as he had gotten up, he swerved quickly to the side, around the man and took off down the corridor.



“Hey! Get back here you damn slave!”



Ignoring the yells behind him, Kaden pelted down the carpet-lined floors, speeding up as much as he could when the sound of racing steps behind him soon followed. His heartbeat accelerated, both because of his running and the adrenalin that rushed through him. Panting lightly, he turned his head to see his pursuer catching up. Whimpering softly, he continued running.



‘Master! Help me!’



He gasped when he realized that there was a lift landing up ahead. If he could just get there fast enough! Putting on an extra burst of speed, he flew and like a cat, managed to swerve right into the landing. He almost skid across the carpet as he hit the buttons on as many of the lifts as possible, reaching for the last button on the lift furthest from the passageway, he fell twisting in an unnatural angle. He sprained his ankle and cried out in pain.



The lift furthest from him, right at the end where he had ducked in, chimed the bell as its doors opened, empty. Getting up as fast as he could, he hobbled towards the lift only to halt when he saw the man had arrived and was glaring at him menacingly.



Terrified, Kaden backed up another step, another, and another until he felt his heel hit the wall behind him. Flicking his eyes from the man to the lift, then back to the man again, he ran his options through his head frantically. The thought of what the man would to him threatened to take away his intelligence.



The man stopped glaring, and straightened up as his breathing even out. Grinning at Kaden, he shook his head. “Did you really think that was a smart thing to do slave?”

Mute with fear, Kaden wished heartily he didn’t understand what the man was saying.

“Now then, if you don’t want to be punished harshly, you’ll come here right now.” Kaden had absolutely no intention of going anywhere near him and his face said as much. Still smirking, the other man started walking closer and closer.

“Whether or not you want to, you are coming with me. A piece of ass like you will make me a lot of money on the resale market.” Chuckling he added, “I’ll be sure to test you out first personally, check if you have any flaws.”



As the man began to approach, Kaden crouched in defiance, he wasn’t going anywhere with that man, at least not without a fight! Baring his teeth, he waited for the opportunity to strike. He had never liked the required long nails a pleasure slave had to keep, and had told his friends back at the training school as much. Right now he was extremely glad for the old harem protocol.



***

Jareth sat up a little straighter as the luxurious car pulled up at the front of his hotel. As the valet strode forward to open the door, he hastily got out and waited for his secretary to exit as well. As she made her way out of the car, carrying his briefcase and her clipboard, she peered up at him halfway the distance to the opened door.



“Mr. Strand, why don’t you go up without me, I’ll head to the office on my own. I think I can handle the rest of the paperwork.”



For courtesy's sake, Jareth offered, “Are you sure you don’t need me?”



“Positive, sir. Now go and entertain that pretty thing of yours.”



Laughing, Jareth waved goodbye and walked swiftly towards the elevators. Pressing a little button on the concealed earphone on his right ear, he called the phone in his own suite of rooms. As the ringing started he shook his head at himself once again; who would have ever imagined he would be so impatient to see a lover again, that he would call when he was but a few minutes away.



He frowned as the phone in the penthouse went unanswered. Then again, he had told Kaden to explore. Pressing the button three times in rapid succession, he waited for the call to go through to Kaden’s headset.



With a clicking sound, the phone device on Kaden’s set engaged and connected. Jareth reached the lifts and pressed the pad, smiling. The earphone clicked again, cueing him to start speaking. “Hello my dear, it’s me! I’m back. Where are you now? I’ll come and get you!”



Jareth realized he was speaking in more exclamation points than he should’ve, but was too happy to give a damn. He’d cleared a large deal, he had finished whatever work had to be done for the week and his secretary would take care of the rest. He had nothing to do for the rest of the day, and the next, but to enjoy his time with Kaden.



His buoyant mood was instantly shattered when he head Kaden speak in a shaky voice, “Master?” Then, “Master help!”



The connection got cut off.



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DUN DUN DUN!!! Mwahaha! Yes, the translator doubles as a headset!