Chapter 14

Rane

“Filthy, disgusting, whore !”

Glass shattered against the wall as his mother raged. She had been going on for some time now, and only seemed to be getting more heated. Her fury was accompanied by the throbbing pain in Rane’s body. The many bruises and broken bones were a gift from Orza and Kirs. A rather standard punishment from his mother. Binding him in place and letting them beat him into submission. Not one he’d endured in some time, admittedly. Maybe that was why the pain was so acute today.

The cracked ribs made it hard to breathe, one swollen eye was hazy with blood from the wound on his head that cracked the shafts of at least three of his feathers, leaving the tattered remnants of one to dangle lifelessly in front of his face. His body was covered in marks. Aching bruises from their fists and stinging abrasions from their scales.

Nothing that couldn’t be fixed in a medscanner and some feather repair. And it would be. Later. After his mother decided he’d been in pain for long enough. Or she had no choice because he had a game or otherwise had to be seen by other people.

It had been a couple days since he’d been ripped away from Sandy. He’d been receiving Orza and Kirs’ hospitality intermittently in that time. His mother had even kept him out of practice. Just from previous experience, he was sure his mother had told his team that he’d needed to rehab for his plethora of addictions. Or maybe she was telling them that he’d run off with some loose females again – though that excuse might not work anymore seeing as how he had a mate now.

Well, an unmated mate, but he still had her.

He hoped.

That was what really hurt. More than the physical pain. He could take the abuse. He could bear the punches. It was not knowing what was happening to Sandy that was driving him mad. Surely, they wouldn’t be so low as to treat her the same way, right?

He couldn’t say they wouldn’t. He didn’t know. It was that not knowing that was tearing him up inside. He’d rather bear the physical blows.

He’d finally been dragged out of the basement room his mother used for his punishments, wrists bound behind him with magcuffs, and forced onto his knees, Orza and Kirs held him there with their hands on his shoulders, tails swiping a hissing threat against the hard stone. He wasn’t allowed up until his mother gave permission, and she was too busy raging, destroying everything within her grasp, to explain why he was here or what she was even mad about.

Thanks to her raving though, it didn’t take him long to figure out.

“Do you know what that disrespectful wench did?!” She yelled, turning on him with fury blazing in her eyes, perfectly manicured claws shining in the light of her office. “That utterly disgusting-”

“Oh, are we talking about me now?”

Heels clicked against the marble floor. Confident and strong. Rane turned his head as Sandy came striding into the office like she owned it. She hadn’t been here before. The door hadn’t been opened for her. She did it herself.

And now she was here, looking down her cute, stubby human nose at Elffa. It had only been a few days since he last saw her, but the difference was startling. And confusing.

Her clothes had been delivered. She wasn’t wearing her brown skirts or sophisticated blouses. Now, she was dressed so differently, he could barely even comprehend it.

Her short hair was pushed over, offsetting the center part, held back by a bright clip with vibrant wings like that of some kind of insect. Her loose shirt was white, with short sleeves, but it stopped under her breasts, baring her entire belly, including the jeweled piece at her naval. She had shorts on, a pink sort of orange, that were poofy and loose, but didn’t even reach her midthigh, revealing her long, lovely legs. Yellow suspenders held them up, cute pins decorating one of the straps. She had on socks up past her knees, and bright orange heels. Over it all, she had on a white, oversized jacket that hung off her shoulders, with a nonsense pattern of overlapping squares in a variety of colors of yellow and green dotted with smaller black squares in the soft inner lining.

She was chewing something, popping it, one hand on her hip, nails sparkling with a bright orange color, looking at his mother with a doleful glare.

“You disgusting-”

“Shut it, Elffa,” she cut her off, fearless and powerful.

Rane just stared. All his pains fading in absolute stunned surprise at the way Sandy – sweet, little human Sandy – was ordering his mother around as if this were her home.

“Sandy?” Rane breathed, confused.

She turned to him, and her expression softened. Just for a second. Then, it sharpened again as she glared at Orza and Kirs.

“And I thought I told you two not to be in my presence anymore. You smell like wet socks, and you look like roadkill. Get out.”

The two ratchi males growled, their tails lashing in anger-

-but they obeyed!

Rane turned as the two of them left the office. Elffa said nothing, though she seethed silently by her desk, glaring at Sandy hard enough to burn a hole through her chest.

Sandy ignored her however as she took Rane by the arm and helped him stand.

“Are you alright?” She asked, tone soft, eyes pained, as she gently stroked his face. He didn’t know what he looked like right now, but he knew it couldn’t be good.

He offered her a half smile – the other half hurt too much to turn up. “I’m alright.”

She let out a short sigh. “No. But you will be.”

Turning, she glared at Elffa again.

“Well? The cuffs, you daft bimbo. Now.”

“I will claw out your eyes-”

“And I will grab them both in my fist and shove them down your throat, so you choke on them. Undo the cuffs – now.”

Rane couldn’t believe anyone would speak to his mother that way. The two of them glared at each other as though they were equal in power. Sandy didn’t back down.

But Elffa did. With a hiss of disgust, his mother turned to her desk and used the control panel to disengage the magcuffs. They released and broke apart, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. And Sandy was there, gently rubbing his wrists.

“There,” she smiled at him. “Come on. Let’s get you some rest. You need to get to the stadium early tomorrow so you can get all healed up before practice.”

“Sandy, what-”

She silenced him with a single finger to his lips and a smile. “Not now. We’ll have time for all that later.” She turned to Elffa, ice in her eyes again. “Thanks so much for your cooperation, monna . I’m glad we could come to an understanding.”

Elffa snarled. “Get out of my sight, you ugly-”

“Ugh, spare me,” Sandy cut her off again . “Your insults are as basic as your sense of taste.”

Elffa’s feathers were all sticking up. Poofing her body up in her anger. Sandy remained, as she ever was, unimpressed and impassive.

“Come on, Rane,” she said, lacing her fingers through his. “I can’t wait to show you all the changes I’ve made to the room. You’re going to love it.”

Rane had no idea what was happening anymore. He wasn’t entirely convinced that he wasn’t just living out some kind of weird dream.

But he followed. He let Sandy lead him out of his mother’s office and into the halls. Walking through the manor like it was hers. Like she’d done it a hundred times before.

“Sandy, what-”

“In a minute, lover,” she said, smiling at him over his shoulder. “I want some privacy first. I’ll tell you everything then, okay?”

What could he say to that?

She took him back to her wing of the manor, but this time the doors didn’t lock when they slid shut behind them. The rug had been taken away, the broken and stained furniture was all gone, but no one had painted over their ink drawings. They remained in place, a bit dull now that they were dry, but untouched. He was surprised. He thought his mother would get rid of those first.

But before he could contemplate them anymore, Sandy was pulling him into his room. And he blinked, surprised.

All the furniture was gone. The hanging bed, the comfy chairs, the desk, the lamps – all of it had been taken out. Now, all that was left was a bare cushion in the corner with pillows and a blanket to sleep on, as well as Sandy’s luggage she’d brought from Earth. She had pulled out her antique music device and set it on the floor. Beside it was the little silver urn he knew held the ashes of her grandmother. He didn’t understand why Sandy took it around with her, but he didn’t question it either.

Aside from that, there was nothing. She’d removed everything.

“What…?” He looked around confused.

“Nice, right?” She grinned wickedly. “I’m telling you, it was so cathartic to destroy all that stuff. I’ve been looking at new furniture to replace everything, but I wanted to wait for you before I decided. I want to know what you like too.”

She let go of his hand, turning to him with a triumphant grin. One that made his heart skip even as it deepened his confusion. She laughed.

“You look like you just got hit with a pie in the face,” she said, her cheeks bright, her eyes alight with mirth.

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” he admitted, looking around again before focusing back on her. “What’s happening? I don’t understand…”

“Oh, yeah. Guess I should explain. Want to sit down first? Er… Well, the bed is all we have left and that’s pretty low…”

“No, I’m okay standing,” he assured her. He’d been strapped down to a bed for the last few days. The last thing he wanted to do right now was lay back down. “But what happened? I don’t get… What did you do to my mother?”

Sandy chuckled, hiding her cute little smile while she did so. “I told you. Your mother doesn’t scare me. I was raised by Lexie Tollman. If there’s one thing grandma instilled into me, it’s that you can make anything happen if you put your mind to it.

“But that doesn’t really explain all… this…” He swept his hand around, trying to think. The last time he saw her, Orza had been locking her in this room. So how…

“People think that kicking up a fuss is a great way to get things done,” she said, smiling. “And I can understand why, on the surface. It seems like the loud ones always get placated. But real power is built with patience.”

“What?”

“Did you really think I was just sitting here, letting her do whatever she wanted, without forming any kind of plan?”

“Well,” he frowned, moving the broken feather from his face. “I suppose I did. Wasn’t that why you were doing mild chaos and general mayhem?”

“No, that was because I was bored, and I had what I needed.”

“Which was?”

“A voice to speak out.” She smiled. “When you act docile, people begin to think that you are docile, so they become much less careful around you. I met Lisra.”

“Yes, I know. But what does that…”

“Apparently, she’d been pestering your mother to meet me, and by being non-confrontational and obedient, your mother got this false sense of security and let her come by. I felt her out. Very quickly realized that she had nothing to do with this, and in fact that she has no idea what’s going on here.”

The last was said in an accusatory tone. Aimed at him . He grimaced, looking away. Not needing her to elaborate on why exactly she was mad.

“I couldn’t tell them,” he said, shame burning in his belly. “They already had this idea of me planted in their heads by my mother. What could I even say?”

“The truth, for starters.”

“They wouldn’t believe me.”

“So?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “If you let out a cry for help and no one responds, they’re the ones in the wrong, not you. Even if they didn’t believe you, planting the seed in their heads is sometimes all you need to do.”

Rane clenched his teeth. Hating that she was right but knowing he still couldn’t talk. How was he supposed to explain… everything. And even if he did, what would it change? He would still be trapped by his mother.

Sandy sighed, relenting. “I get it though. Sometimes, it hurts to try to ask for help, right? To admit that you need it. And to be afraid that, even if you ask for it, you won’t get it. I understand, Rane. I do. But you needed help.”

“Is that what you did? Tell the team what happened?”

“No,” she laughed. “I told Drevor to get me another meeting with Lisra. And when she came around again, I made up my own little narrative.”

“What did you tell her?”

She grinned. “I told her that I was worried about my life here. I was scared. Not that hard to get her to believe since that’s the story your mother has been telling everyone. I told her that I was just convinced someone was coming after me.”

Rane blinked at her, stunned. “Did you say it in that tone of voice?”

“No. I went for a more restrained, quivering fear kind of thing,” she shrugged, smirking. “Like, I’m so scared, but I’m trying to hold it together? She went for it, of course. I made her promise, absolutely swear, that if she didn’t hear from me at least once a day, that she had to contact the domini embassy and tell them that I was being held captive.”

Rane just stared at her. Surprised, because that had been his plan. One he hadn’t actually managed to go through with.

Because he hadn’t tried to ask his team for help. He hadn’t reached out to them. Even when he asked Zell for the location of the embassy, he hadn’t asked him to get the message out. Because he didn’t think they would believe the truth. Because he didn’t trust them.

“Your mom has most of this place bugged,” Sandy continued, oblivious to the dark feelings consuming him. “So, she heard me say it, because she definitely wasn’t leaving me alone with her, but she can’t do anything about it. We’re not mated, which means I’m considered a legal adult by telfay standards. So, her holding onto me like this is kidnapping. And she knows that. According to Drevor, that is a very high crime.”

“It is,” Rane said numbly, suddenly understanding.

It didn’t matter how much wealth or power his mother wielded. If she was hit with accusations of kidnapping a human, she wouldn’t be able to escape the consequences. And there was plenty of evidence.

Basically, Sandy had his mother by the throat.

That was why she was able to walk around freely. That was why she was able to order Orza and Kirs around like they worked for her. They had no choice. If they stopped Sandy from talking to Lisra, or if they let her tell Lisra to contact the embassy anyway, it would be all over.

Just like that. So simply, Sandy bucked Elffa’s authority and reclaimed her independence.

Seeing how easy she made it only made Rane think he really must be a child. If Sandy was able to reclaim her freedom within just a few days, how come he wasn’t able to do so in all the years he’d been trapped like this?

“Of course, we still have to deal with her,” Sandy sighed, annoyed. “She still has guardianship over you, and she knows it. We’re at an impasse.”

“What?”

“Yeah. If we were mated, I’d be able to claim guardianship over you in her place and set you free. But if we mate, I’m suddenly bound by telfay laws of adulthood, and she gets de facto guardianship over me. And you can bet if that happens, she’ll do whatever it takes to keep it. So, we’re kind of at a standstill right now.”

“No, I mean… Why didn’t you just leave?”

“I can’t leave without you.”

Something like a blow, a punch directly to his chest, left Rane breathless. She spoke with that same careless confidence that she addressed everything. Like no one could bother or annoy her because she was in control of everything. Like every word she spoke was truth, simply because she had declared it to be so.

She smiled softly, reaching for him. Clasping his head in her hands. The heels on her feet elevated her up, but she was still so much smaller than him. How could someone so slight have so much power? He didn’t feel worthy of her. And at the same time, he wanted to yank her into his arms, sink his teeth into her neck, mark her, and never let her go.

“You can escape from here,” he said anyway. Because deeper than the choking need to grab onto her and hold was the desperate desire to keep her safe.

“But you can’t,” she refuted, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hesitated, but slowly allowed his arms to encircle her waist in turn. “Even if I escape, you’re still stuck with your mother. And what happens to you if she suddenly has to go to prison for kidnapping?”

He hesitated. He had dreamed about what it would be like to escape his mother’s clutches for a long time. He knew the laws around adult guardianship better than most at this point. If his mother was taken to prison, his guardianship would have to transfer. Since his father had been forced to surrender his claim on Rane thanks to Elffa, the only option he had left was the government. The very tribunal that had condemned him to this life would be his new guardian. And he doubted that Orza and Kirs’ payments would stop, so their devotion to their task wouldn’t either. Which would no doubt mean that Rane would still be caught high or drunk or coming out of clubs. Anything to continue making him look bad so that his adulthood would never be granted.

But…

“I’m used to that, Sandy,” he said, rubbing the small of her back. “You can get away from this place. You can get out.”

“No,” she refuted firmly, cute little fuzzy brows furrowing in displeasure. “Not without you.”

“Sandy-”

“I’ll figure something out,” she declared. “She has to let out some control now. We struck up a deal. I play nice, and she lets us be normal. Well, mostly normal. She’ll still control you and your money, but I at least convinced her to give you the thousand credz a day, not just make it a cap. That way, you can start saving it up.”

“How did you convince her to do that?” He asked, surprised. His mother loved money. He couldn’t imagine her willingly parting with it.

“Oh, that,” she chuckled. “Well, Drevor very helpfully informed me that she’s required to give you spending funds as part of the adult guardianship thing. A thousand is the minimum she was given considering how much you make. I just told her that she would be losing a thousand dollars either way. So, she could either give it to you outright, or I could make sure every day I buy the ugliest, most outrageous things possible, and make them her problem. I said I was going to start by buying a bunch of penis décor and putting them up in the yard and telling everyone that, as a sexually degenerate human, such displays were part of my culture.”

Rane couldn’t stop the laughter that burst out of him making his broken ribs ache. Sandy just smiled. “I imagine she hated that.”

“She puckered her lips so hard, it looked like an anus on her face.”

He laughed again. Delighted by this little human and her wild thoughts. “So, I get a thousand credz a day. Just like that?”

“Well, she controls the account it’s going in, unfortunately. But for now, the threat of everything I could start doing with it as a filthy human has her under control. I think she got the point when my new clothes came in. That’s when she finally agreed to the rest of my demands.”

“The rest?”

“Yeah.” She drew her hand down his chest, frowning at the myriad of marks marring his skin. “We’re allowed out during the day. We can do what we want, so long as you still go to your games and practice and any professional obligations. But we always have to return here at night. You have a curfew. That’s mandated by law, apparently. So, I couldn’t get around that.”

“It’s never stopped me before,” he frowned, thinking back to all the late nights he had spent drowning in whatever addiction would look the worst that day.

“I know. And it’s terrible,” she huffed. “The way she has forced you to keep breaking the rules and making you look bad. It’s just another way to control you.”

“What?” His belly dropped, stunned.

“It’s no wonder the tribunal kept refusing your appeals. It looks like you’re flagrantly flaunting their authority over you. Your mother is an evil mastermind, I’ll give her that.”

“How did you… know that?”

“Huh?” She focused back on him. “What do you mean?”

“I never told you.” His mouth worked up and down, trying to catch his words. “How did you know my mom was staging all of that?”

“Please. It’s obvious.”

“How?”

“I spent the majority of the last decade watching soap operas with my grandmother. You think I can’t spot when someone is setting a scene? Or I can’t pick out tiny details like the fact that your blue and green shadow is constantly dragging you through the mud? Besides,” she softened with a smile, “you don’t seem like the addict type. I’ve never seen you drink or do any kind of drug.”

“I did. At first,” he admitted, ashamed. “I was young and dumb, and it was an escape.”

“And now?”

“They… If I don’t do it voluntarily, they force it on me. So, it’s better to just do it myself. At least that way, I can control how much I consume or smoke or whatever.”

Sandy growled, her hand tightening into a fist against his chest. “I’m probably going to end up punching your mother. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not really.”

“Good. Well, from now on, no more. If they force it on you and you have no choice, fine. But don’t consume anything else addictive from now on.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? Thanks to her , it’s already going to be hard enough cleaning up your image. I know it sucks to go off everything cold turkey, but I need you to do this. I don’t want anyone seeing you doing even the most mild, legal of drugs or alcohol. Got it?”

“Er, yeah. Okay,” he mumbled.

“We’re also going to have to make sure we obey curfew every night. I’m going to look into some charity work. As heartless as it sounds, charity work is always good for raising someone’s image. I hate to use the unfortunate that way, but at least they’re getting something out of it in turn. Win-win is better than nothing.”

“Sandy, why are you doing all this?”

She blinked, focusing back on his face again. “It’s not obvious? I like you. I like you a lot, you big dummy. And I don’t want you to keep suffering because of her. ”

“Sandy…”

“And you’re supposed to be my mate, right?” She asked softly, her cheeks turning that adorable shade of pink again. And he thought he understood why humans considered that a feminine color. “We can’t actually be mated though. Not so long as it takes away our ability to fight back. Oh! But don’t worry. I’m sure we can still be intimate somehow.”

A fire burned deep in Rane’s belly as his cock twitched. Eager to find out what ‘somehow’ meant. He smirked.

“My people mate through a bite, Sandy,” he said, trailing one of his fingers down her neck, enjoying the way she trembled under him. “Right here. Tasting your blood is what locks the bond into place for my people. So long as I don’t do that, we can do anything else.”

“Really?” She grinned wide, leaning against him. “Well, why don’t you show me exactly what-”

Someone knocked on the door. Cutting her off and making him snarl in anger. Sandy gave him a contrite smile as she leaned back, staying in his arms.

“Come in!” She yelled.

The door slid open, revealing Drevor. Rane blinked at him, surprised. He knew that Sandy said he’d been helping her, but he couldn’t quite believe that his mother’s assistant would do that. However, he was only polite as he inclined his head to her.

“The hover is ready, Tilla Sandy” he said.

“Hover?” Rane looked at her.

She smiled at him. “You have practice today. We have to get to the stadium early so we can fix… all this.” Her brow furrowed when she looked over his injuries again.

He wanted to reassure her that it was alright. That he’d endured worse, for a lot longer, before. But he didn’t say anything because he rather liked the concern in her eyes as she stroked his arm down to clasp his hand.

“Come on,” she said, pulling on him. “The sooner we can get those fixed, the better. Drevor, get some food delivered to the stadium. He needs to eat.”

“Yes, tilla ,” he said demurely. As though she were the mistress of the house.

And he could only smile, his crest rising. Because that was exactly right.