Chapter 8

Rane

The game was called with a harsh cry of the buzzer. He hadn’t been keeping track of points. Trikball didn’t leave much time to relax. It was pretty high energy and physically demanding on the players, from start to finish. But he found out who won when the entire stadium began flashing the Elivier team color while the crowd roared their approval.

The away team, a group of shinuk males from Holivair, met them in the center of the sphere to pound fists and bury any bad feelings. Not that there could be any left. All of them were panting, his team was sweating – shinuk didn’t have sweat glands and so couldn’t – and everyone was shaking from the effort and pain. Game play only paused in cases of severe injury that demanded immediate treatment – such as a broken bone or if someone began coughing or vomiting blood or something. And even then, that just meant they’d leave the sphere to be healed only enough that they didn’t die, and they were right back in it. As a consequence, all of them were bloody and lumped up.

Trikball was a vicious sport, not at all kind to its players. But it was a thrill. It was a challenge. It was fun, at the end of it all.

Or it had been, once.

Rane couldn’t really get himself in the celebratory mood as he and his team did their customary victory laps around the sphere. He lingered as long as he felt necessary before dropping down through the sphere and throwing himself down, back into gravity’s embrace.

Seems like, these days, he always felt its weight pulling on him, even in the sphere.

As was typical post-match, he was immediately directed towards the healing room just off to the side of the field. Only two members of the other team were still inside, getting broken bones in their hands fixed. They gave him friendly nods as he passed to the third of five beds.

He laid down to get scanned, but didn’t need to be there long. Mostly, he was just covered in bruises. A few scrapes here and there. Nothing too bad.

He was out before the other two were done – bone healing took a bit longer than soft tissue – and he continued into the locker room. By the time he finished showering and was starting to dress, the rest of his team were filing in. Laughing, cheering. They clapped him on the back, congratulating him on a game well played.

All but Sal, who gave him a few looks.

It had been a well-played game. They had won. But there had still been a few spots where Rane had been careless, had been sloppy. A few points the other team took from them because he’d been slacking somehow.

Sal didn’t say anything now, of course. He was too good of a captain to immediately lecture him right after a game. Win or lose, he would always give them the afternoon to gather themselves. Rane didn’t doubt that he’d hear about it during the next practice.

He might not be there though.

Practice was pretty much the only time he was unsupervised. Orza and Kirs were still there, of course. They marched him to the locker room and watched him, but they didn’t follow him the entire time.

If he got injured, he’d go to the healing room, and they wouldn’t follow. They wouldn’t consider it odd that he’d be missing for a while,

Not long. Just long enough for him to sneak out of the stadium.

He didn’t need to take Sandy to an embassy. He could go himself. He could report what was happening to her, and they could come get her instead. They’d free her. Get her out of here. Save her from his life.

He couldn’t look up the embassy. His combot was child locked, so he couldn’t use any features his mother didn’t approve of, and anything he searched for she would see. But he could ask Zell. His teammate was nice, he was helpful, he also didn’t ask many questions. He was, in a word, simple, and he didn’t tend to question people about things. A few seemingly random queries to him, wondering where the domini embassy might be, like it was a passing fancy of his, had been enough for him to get on his own combot to look up the information.

And just like that, Rane knew where to go. He had a plan to escape. He just needed to wait for his chance to do it.

“Victory party at the upstairs club!” Arus declared brightly, to appreciative cheers.

Rane was about to decline, but he didn’t get a chance. Zell grabbed one of his arms, Tarou grabbed the other, and the two marched him towards the door, laughing. Years of letting Orza and Kirs drag him around in a very similar way stole any thought of resisting before he even realized what they were doing. Despite how much he didn’t want to go, he said nothing as he was guided to the lift that brought them to the exclusive club all the way at the top of the stadium. A place for the team, the managers, and those wealthy enough to buy entrance.

Once, Rane loved going here. It was a huge space, with a lower floor filled with dancing and merriment, and a second floor that looked down at the lower floor where people could eat and drink and lounge and smoke as they enjoyed the pounding music and bright lights. The opposing team was invited to their private bar as well, but they rarely showed up if they lost since no one felt like partying after a defeat unless it was some kind of championship match.

Predictably, the other team was missing tonight. The lights were all in the beige and pale yellow of their team colors, celebrating their victory. The moment the Eliviers showed their faces, in fresh uniforms, everyone cheered. Rane forced a smile as they walked into the crowd.

Just half a mark, maybe less. He’d stay that long, then he’d get out when no one was looking. He was sure Orza and Kirs were around here somewhere. He’d sneak by them and-

“Rane, there you are.”

He flinched at his mother’s familiar voice. But it wasn’t surprising she was here. She was the team manager, after all. It still felt wrong that she dared show her face here, where people wanted to have fun and escape terrible people and their unpleasantness.

But he still turned to face her, because he couldn’t ignore her.

His heart dropped when he saw who was flanking her either side, however. To her right, unsurprisingly, was Drevor. The yellow crested male was his mother’s assistant and had been for many years. Rane didn’t know much about him other than that he was quiet, and he got things done. He didn’t know if Drevor knew about his situation, but if he did, he clearly didn’t care.

But on the other side, giving him a soft smile, was Sandy.

She was here. Why was she here?

As the only human in the room, she was getting a lot of attention. People were no doubt wondering what she was doing here. More than a few females sneered at her. Though she was dressed appropriately in a long, plain brown dress – as was proper for a female – there was just something deliciously obscene about the way it clutched her form. It made the usually modest, simple dress seem absolutely lewd. No one could compare to her in it.

Male telfay were the ones meant to display for their females. It was why they all went around shirtless, but for accents and jewelry. But females, muted in both color and temperament, were meant to be modest and covered. And while Sandy definitely dressed like a telfay, just the fact that she was human made her sensual in completely immodest ways.

“Good work, my son,” Elffa said, smiling at him like she really might be proud.

“Thank you,” he responded robotically, because she expected it. But he didn’t look away from Sandy who silently wrinkled her cute little nose at him. Like she was sharing a secret, teasing remark that the others weren’t permitted to hear.

She was adorable. Sexual. Perfect. He wanted her with a desperation that choked him. Not just because she was beautiful, but because she was kind. She was compassionate. She was everything he’d ever missed in his life and knew he couldn’t have.

“Drevor,” Elffa turned to him. “Make sure they get home safe. I’m leaving. Places like this always give me a headache.”

“Yes, tilla ,” Drevor inclined his head properly.

Elffa turned to leave, but Rane saw a familiar flash of green and blue in the crowd. Orza and Kirs were definitely there, watching him. Making sure that he and Sandy didn’t go anywhere. It behooved his mother to keep him there.

Her out-of-control son at a party? What was unusual about that? He might even do something ludicrous for the media to feast on.

“What are you doing here?” He asked Sandy, stepping closer to her.

“Your mother, I assume, insisted I come. Green and Blue brought me though.”

“Green and… Oh, you mean Kirs and Orza?”

“I suppose. It’s not really important that I know their names.” She shrugged her shoulders. Casually dismissing them with such simple words and movements.

Just like that. They controlled her as assuredly as they did him, if not more. At least Rane had a fighting chance against one of them. Sandy wouldn’t even have that. But she wasn’t concerned. They were nothing in her eyes. Not even worth distinguishing by name.

And there was so much power in that. Stunning him. He didn’t understand how she could be in their control and still so totally out of their reach.

“Rane,” Drevor interjected, catching their attention.

And even in that, Sandy only moved her eyes. Her expression was guarded, unapproachable. It was a look that she had leveled at Rane before too. Before he had broken down in front of her, making it soften.

She was measuring him, he realized. Judging Drevor to see what kind of person he was. If he was someone she would soften towards like Rane, or someone she would dismiss as unnecessary, like she had Orza and Kirs.

“Yes?” Rane answered, not quite sure about Drevor himself. He had always dismissed him as he was his mother’s assistant. Elffa only hired capable people, but if it was someone who had the potential to be around Rane, she had to make sure they were loyal and wouldn’t do something stupid – like sympathize with him.

“I have unlocked your account,” Drevor said calmly. “You can spend your credz again as you wish. Of course, you have a thousand credz limit per day, and you can only purchase within the city.”

That wasn’t unusual. It kept him from leaving the city – or even purchasing a ticket out of the city. And the cap meant he couldn’t buy anything too extravagant.

Rane had a great deal of money. He earned a lot through trikball alone, but he also had brand sponsorships and he even got paid to show up to events. But he didn’t actually have access to his own wealth. His mother did. Her access was complete and unfettered.

Just another joy of being him.

“ Tilla Sandy,” Drevor turned to her next, inclining his head respectfully. She was unmoved. Didn’t even grant him the courtesy of a response back.

She used silence as a weapon, and it was surprisingly effective. Even Drevor, for all that he was usually calm and unflappable, seemed a bit taken aback by her refusal to acknowledge him beyond an aloof look through those bright, green eyes.

“Er, I’m afraid you don’t have access to Rane’s credz, but he can spend them on you, if he so wishes. I do want to tell you that we’ve put in an application for you to be reviewed by the tribunal. Do you understand what that means?”

She gave him nothing. Not a single twitch in her expression. It made her impossible to read. More than that, the look wasn’t one of neutrality. It was one of partial disdain. Almost like she as begging his pardon for even speaking to her. It gave Drevor pause as he tried to decide if he should explain or not.

Sandy had no power in this situation, but looking at her face, it did seem like they were all children playing at her feet, acting as though they were the ones in control of her. And she accomplished all of that with one haughty, unflinching look and unflagging silence.

“I’ll explain it to her,” Rane cut in, more for her sake than Drevor’s. He wanted to explain what was about to happen. What his mother was probably about to do. He didn’t think Drevor would give her a proper warning.

“As you wish,” Drevor inclined his head, giving Sandy a searching look of his own. “It was lovely to meet you, tilla .”

Still nothing. She just stared. Unblinking. Unmoving.

Drevor cleared his throat. “Very well. I’ll go stand with Orza and Kirs. Please let me know if either of you need anything.”

Rane watched him walk away, wanting to mock him behind his back. But tonight was starting out… kind of alright. And he didn’t want to ruin that.

Turning, he faced Sandy properly and she looked back at him. Her lips curled up in a smile, and just like that, the harsh stare was broken. Because he had earned the right to her, the others had not.

Though he didn’t know what she could possibly see in him that made her think he was worthy, he also didn’t want to question it. It felt… right for her eyes to be on him. His fingers twitched with the instinctive urge to pose for her.

But he didn’t. Because he was going to be sending her away. Because he didn’t have that right.

“So, that was trikball,” she said like Drevor had never interrupted. “You were impressive.”

He chuckled self-consciously, crest slowly rising despite himself. “You were watching?”

She nodded. “It was amazing. I’ve never really been into sports myself, but it was really exciting. I wish I had better company than your mother, but aside from that, it was fun to watch.”

He grimaced. “You really aren’t afraid of her, are you?”

“Why would I be afraid of your mother?”

“I mean, she controls you. She’s got you locked up.”

“So?” She shrugged. “What’s she going to do? Kill me? Torture me?”

Rane’s jaw dropped stunned. She was so cavalier. So unconcerned.

Sandy laughed, the delightful tinkle of it setting a fire ablaze in his belly. “You look so shocked. Fear is something you give to another. If you refuse to give it, they might be able to control you, but they won’t have control over you.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“No. There’s a difference. She can force me to go places, but she can’t take anything from me or do anything to me. At least, nothing I have to fear.” She shrugged again. “If she does want to torture or kill me, then I guess I’ll either die or fight back. But I’m not afraid of her. I certainly don’t care what she does. For now, I’m more interested in you.”

Rane was too baffled to respond. It was like she was speaking a completely different language. It made no sense, what she was saying.

“Do you want to enjoy the party?” Sandy asked, doing just as she said. Being more interested in him than his mother and her control.

He didn’t think anyone had asked him that before. Oh, plenty of people had asked if he wanted to go to a party. And there were also plenty of times that he was forced to a party, regardless of what he actually wanted. But no one asked if he wanted to enjoy the party.

And the honest answer was-

“No. I don’t know.”

She smiled. “Okay. You want to sit at the bar or something?”

“I, er, don’t really want to be here. Right now.”

She smiled. “Then, let’s go somewhere else.”

He wanted to ask where they were supposed to go. Orza and Kirs were right there, keeping eyes on them from a distance.

But then Sandy grabbed his hand. She took it like it was her right and began pulling him along across the dance floor. Not towards the exit – which would surely alert Orza and Kirs – but towards the buffet in the center of the room.

“I hope you don’t mind if we get some food first. I’m starving,” she said, eagerly looking everything over. “I don’t recognize any of this. What’s that stuff.”

“Leaf wraps,” he said, cocking his head curiously. “They’re stuffed with spiced meat and fruit. But they’re a bit heavy. Females don’t tend to like them.”

“Sounds delicious,” she said, grabbing a plate and piling on four of them.

Rane watched her stunned, “You can eat that much?”

“I could eat more,” she chuckled, moving onto the next platter. “I don’t know what your females tend to like, but us human females like to eat. And I definitely haven’t been getting enough, so I’m totally taking advantage of this.”

Rane frowned, confused. But it only lasted a moment before he understood.

Drevor was like the one in charge of her meals – his mother certainly wouldn’t do it, nor would Orza or Kirs. His mother’s assistant was an attentive male who would have served her food suitable for a female.

A telfay female. And telfay females ate considerably less than their male counterparts. But, perhaps, not enough to feed a more curvy, thicker human female.

In the wake of his understanding, he grabbed his own plate and began piling food on it. Not so much for himself, but for her.

If she was really starving, he wanted to feed her.

Plates loaded with food, they made their way to the simple lifts in the back that carried people up to the second story. All they had to do was step onto one and it brought them up

Below, Orza and Kirs were already following after. Drevor had found a place to sit near the exit – so he could see them leaving but didn’t have to follow them around. Sandy gave none of them any mind as she led Rane off the lift and through the tables that took up most of the second-floor balcony.

He didn’t know what she was looking for – and she certainly didn’t either since she had never been here before. But that didn’t really matter, because her free hand was holding his again and her grip was soft and warm. Tender. He never wanted her to let go. He wanted to pull her into an embrace and feel her again. Properly this time. He wanted to kiss her and find out if that was as wonderful as her hugs.

He wanted to put his teeth right there at the juncture of her neck and bite down.

Ice washed through his veins as he realized what he had just been thinking.

No. He couldn’t mark her. He couldn’t taste her blood. If he did that, he’d just be sealing the bond between them. Something he absolutely couldn’t afford to do. Not if he wanted to keep the chance to get her out of here.

While he was grappling with that panic, Sandy found what she was looking for.

There were doors leading to open balconies on the second floor. They looked out over the whole stadium – which was still lit up. This club was open even during the game, so people could gather there and look down on the sphere.

The balconies were mostly empty now, however, as the game was over, and everyone had gone inside to party with the players. A few people gave Rane and Sandy interested or confused looks as they passed, but no one stopped them as she picked one of the far balconies and led him outside, closing the door behind them in a way that clearly meant to give them privacy.

Rane watched her. Fascinated by this strong little female who let no one intimidate her, as she walked to the edge and sat on one of the cushioned seats beside the railing. She did it so gracefully, so elegantly, that he was entranced by the way she lifted her legs and curled them up beside her on the cushion.

She immediately grabbed one of the leaf wraps and took a big, healthy bite. The moan that left her mouth as she chewed was dangerous and he shivering. Wanting, needing, to hear it again.

He stood there staring as she quickly finished the entire wrap before noticing he’d come no closer. She grinned, still chewing, and waved him over.

He followed, plopping down next to her, setting his plate of foot on the little table in front of them. He didn’t really care about the food or the sphere. This was his home stadium; he saw it all the time. He’d had this same meal dozens of times. But he didn’t think he’d ever get a chance to meet another female as perfect, as powerful, as this one.

“Do you need more food?” He asked, suddenly desperate to do something for her. To prove, in any small way, that he wasn’t as terrible as everyone made him out to be.

“I’m alright,” she said, disappointing him as she took another wrap.

But the feeling was gone quickly as he focused on her. “You, er, you didn’t pick that dress, did you?”

She chuckled, running her hand down her own leg, making him envious of both her beautiful fingers and luscious thigh. “Is it that obvious?”

“I recognize my mother’s stylist is all. You look good,” he assured her. “Beautiful. Sorry. I meant to say you look b-… You are…beautiful.”

She was covering her laugh as he stammered, feeling suddenly completely stupid.

“Thank you,” she said, leaning her arm against the railing. “But I’m not really a fan. This dress is… well, it’s a bit too similar to what I usually wear, and I’m trying to branch out, you know?”

Rane looked down again. He couldn’t remember her wearing anything like that. It was telfay in style, and much tighter than her usual garments. Not that he was complaining, but-

“What don’t you like about it?”

She hummed thoughtfully. “I guess, if I had to say, I kind of want it to be more colorful.”

Her cheeks were pink now. Fascinating him into leaning in closer. They only got brighter when she noticed. What was that?

“Colorful?” He finally managed to say. “Like… male clothes?”

“Male clothes?”

He looked at himself. His uniform was in all neutral tones – feminine colors – so maybe that wasn’t a good example, but…

“Telfay males tend to wear bright colors. Females prefer neutral colors.”

Sandy cocked her head curiously. “You mean, like brown and beige and white?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Wait. Are you telling me that your house is considered… girly?”

He grimaced, turning his head. Because yes, it was. And while he didn’t particularly mind feminine colors, it bothered him that every part of his house was like that. Not even in his room – Sandy’s room now, he supposed, since he had been sleeping on a sofa in a drawing room – was allowed to express his need to surround himself with bright colors.

Males were meant to be bright, to be eye catching. That was masculine and passionate, as a male should be. That way, he could catch a female’s eye, her attention. But looking at everything he owned, down to the very uniform that his mother picked for the team, he had not a single bit of brightness in his life.

“Hm,” Sandy hummed softly. “Okay. Interesting. Humans have boy and girl colors too.”

“Really?” He asked, grateful for the subject change.

She nodded. “For us, anything pink is considered to be a feminine color.”

“Pink?” He reared back, surprised. That was a distinctly masculine color.

Sandy laughed. “Right. And blue is considered to be a masculine color.”

Blue. Like his crest that raised as her eyes moved. Appreciation in her bright, green eyes. That bit of color was masculine to her? His crest was a very common color. Certainly not eye-catching enough to be enticing on its own to telfay females without other colors involved.

But Sandy looked impressed as she caught his gaze again. Her smile widened and his heart skipped a beat. She was so pretty. So precious.

“Brown is considered a neutral color for humans,” she continued, looking at her dress again. “It’s plain and inoffensive. Boring, if you’re being ungenerous.”

“Boring,” he repeated, looking at her dress again. “You want more colorful clothing?”

She didn’t say anything for a long moment before saying, “I don’t really know. I’ve always worn things like this. I never considered what I was wearing before but…”

“But what?” He pressed, suddenly eager for more of her. To hear her speak. To give her anything she asked her. He could buy her clothes. He could do that easily. It might be more difficult to find feminine clothes in bright colors, but surely it wasn’t going to be impossible. He would have them specially made for her if he had to.

Though, that might be harder with his daily credz limit…

Whatever. If he had to buy only one article of clothing a day until she got a full wardrobe, then he would do that. If it made her happy. If it made her smile at him again.

“What do you want, Sandy? Tell me,” he begged, reaching for her. Trying to be as confident as she was. But his hand couldn’t stop shaking when he took hers.

She didn’t fight him, however. She didn’t give him that aloof look as he held her hand in his again, enjoying the softness of her palm, the arches of her fingers, just the warmth of her.

She licked her lips, unsure for the first time since he met her, and he wanted to do anything to wipe that look away.

“Sandy?” He started softly, wondering if he should push or back off.

But she focused back on him and smiled, and though it was sad, it was genuine.

“Why did you do the mating scan?” She asked, surprising him.

“Er, I didn’t,” he admitted, confused about the sudden change of subject, but not unwilling to follow it with her. “I mean, I did, but not willingly. My mother tricked me into the scan. She wanted to find my mate so she could control her. You.”

Sandy’s cute little furry brow popped. He wanted dearly to kiss it and find out if those tiny hairs were as soft as they looked.

“She forced you, in other words,” she said, derision dripping from her words.

“I’m sorry,” he said immediately. Automatically. The urge to submit to an angry female beaten into him since birth.

But Sandy shook her head. “No. I know it’s not your fault. Your mother is a genuinely terrible person, you know that?”

He did, but hearing someone else acknowledge it, understand him that way, somehow lifted a huge weight off his shoulders he didn’t realize he’d been carrying.

He knew he didn’t like his mother, but when the entire world thought she was doing the right thing, no matter how he felt about it, some part of him had been unable to stop thinking that maybe they were right, and he did indeed deserve it.

But with that irritated toss of her head, Sandy shattered that insecurity so easily. And he thought maybe he loved her just a little bit for that alone.