Victory.
* * *
Later that day, I was allowed to bathe. Raythe and Nadia had left not long after, which disappointed me. I hadn’t been able to say a word to her. I wondered if she was okay, if Raythe was a kind master. I sighed, wondering if I’d get to see her again.
My men fawned over me and I allowed myself to enjoy it. I could almost feel their anxiety coming off their skin and I pondered why. That night, before dinner, they adorned me with jewelry.
Sparkling chains attached to nipple clamps that bit into my skin. One clamp attached to my navel and another bit down on my clit. The collar around my throat was replaced with a thick silver band, designating me as theirs.
The whole spectacle made me feel a little uncomfortable, but pretty nonetheless, but naked, always naked. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have clothing embracing my skin.
Before we left the apartment, Coltan gripped my chin in his hands and stared into my eyes. His lips never moved but his words were loud all the same.
“If you need to speak to us, use our link. Do not, under any circumstances, speak out loud, unless we have asked you something specifically.”
I nodded. I understood.
When the door slid open, I took my place between them and dutifully followed, my wrists interlaced behind my back and my eyes on the floor. I knew Zaavyr had a leash in his pocket, but he had chosen not to use it then, which I was silently grateful for.
I memorized our path as we walked down steel-encased hallways, very military in nature. The walls were stark and undecorated, the only thing distinguishing one panel from the next being a series of bolts around the edges.
We took a right and then a left, followed by another right to an elevator. It was large, and looked rather industrial, but moved faster than any I’d ever been in before, descending at least forty floors in a fraction of a second. Strangely enough, I didn’t feel a thing. Weren’t there supposed to be G forces or something?
I shook my head, refocusing instead on the journey at hand. We entered what appeared to be a massive cafeteria of sorts, one that vaguely reminded me of mall food courts of long ago. A ring of various restaurants circled around us and my eyes searched, wondering what kind of food they would have here.
Vakarrans milled around us, as well as other alien species that looked humanoid in nature. There were human females too. It was obvious who was in power though. Only the Vakarrans were clothed. Everyone that served them, human females or aliens that looked kind of like us, were entirely naked.
Just like me.
Many of them were collared, their shoulders hunched, their expressions blank. One thing was very clear though, they knew their place.
My jawline tensed a bit at seeing this before I remembered to drop my eyes.
I could feel my captors’ eyes on me, evaluating me for any sign of rebellion. I was careful though. I didn’t give them one.
My stomach growled. I hoped I would be allowed to eat.
Aedan went off and retrieved several boxes before the five of us sat down at a round table. I was allowed to kneel on a padded stool, not in a chair like the rest of them.
One box was placed in front of me and Coltan leaned toward me.
“Put your hands on either side of the box. Think of the food you most crave in the world and when you open it, it’ll be inside,” he advised.
I smiled in anticipation. Now that was exciting.
I did as he said and placed my palms on the silver sensors to either side. I felt it grow warm underneath my skin and the box began to glow for a long moment. When it faded, I couldn’t help myself as I rushed to open it.
Inside were several slices of cheesy pepperoni pizza and off to the side, a dark chocolate candy bar. Just seeing and smelling the food made me salivate.
“Can I eat by myself?” I ventured, having difficulty waiting to dig in.
Coltan lifted the slice of pizza and brought it to my mouth.
“What is this? Earth food?” he asked.
“Pizza, Master,” I answered, right before I took a big bite.
The cheesy tomato goodness exploded over my tongue and I moaned softly as I chewed. The pepperoni was spicy, and everything was seasoned perfectly, just like I remembered from over a decade ago. It tasted just like the pizza place did around the corner from my childhood home. I couldn’t get enough and took another bite.