He releases his fingers. "Beautiful," he says.
Drool falls from my mouth, dripping onto my breasts. I've never been so humiliated in my life.
"Now that I've taken what I've needed from you, the initial inspection is over," he says.
"That's it? We're done here?" I ask.
"Call me sir," he states.
"Are we done, sir?"
He checks the IV bladder one more time and takes some notes. "For now," he says.
"How long will you keep me here?" I ask.
He turns the tablet off and sighs. "I understand this is hard for you to comprehend, but I've told you multiple times. You won't be going anywhere. From now on, this is your home. This bed is your bed. This is your space. You aren't well, Anna."
"I'd rather die than stay here," I mutter.
"Then you'll die a slow and loveless death. But for now, you are alive, and it is my duty to make sure you are healthy. I'm the beast that allows you to live." He smacks my cheek and squeezes, bringing my mouth closer to him one last time. My nose tingles as the emotion causes my sinuses to swell.
After he blows the candles out, the darkness washes over me once again. As soon as I hear him climb out of the well, I let myself cry. Every terrible emotion washes out of my body.
"Don't you get it? You're worth more than those Earth Federation cunts give to you," he says. "After I teach you how to behave, you can tell me how much they really mean to you."
After he teaches me.
I submit. "Yes, sir," I whisper.
I can hear the wind outside. It smells like it just rained. I dream of that rain, dream of the squad I left behind and the memories that come with it.
I remember staying home from grade school, watching the war’s horrors on television. The bombs d
ropped over theRed Sands. Boom. They thundered so loudly. I remember my mother telling me it was for the good of my future. They were doing this for me, she said.
Now, look where I have ended up. Earth Federation will assume I have defected with an alpha slaver. If he keeps me for long enough, my government won't accept me back. Like the others that have defected, they won't accept my story as truth. Specially curated videos will stream on every Earth Federation tablet device. A smear campaign will tarnish my name, while I rot in prison.
They will mark me as a traitor, but this alpha will always know the truth. I didn't defect. I was just too slow to react.
"Good night, Anna," he says, before he shuts the top.
"Good night, sir."
I close my eyes and block out the memories of my old self. The light has turned to serve those who embrace it.
I am his. I embrace darkness.
Anna
His heels rest flat against the pavement near my kneecaps. My skin is covered in scrapes. Bruises have formed where the IVs open my veins. Pain shocks every nerve.
I've been through hell and back.
"There are only three things I need from you," he tells me. "Number one, discipline. I need you to know when to open that mouth and when to shut the fuck up. Number two, obedience. Number three, safety. I need you to stay safe. I found you. I saved you. I won't let someone else take you."
Everybody's got rules to follow. These are mine.
“The process is something you have to go through. It's how you'll learn and grow." His eyes glow green in the darkness.