In the Belly of the Beasts (Alien Warrior Prison Planet)

Valek

She's beginning to thaw. Beads of liquid collect like dew on her full lips, and her nostrils flare as she struggles to breathe. Her back is still frozen to the Alkenian steel table, but every few seconds her left shoulder twitches. She'll be able to fully move it soon—not that it will do her any good.

If I could, I'd let her sleep for the rest of her life. Coming out of stasis is difficult for such a frail, human body. Even to me it seems cruel to put her through so much right before the end. Hopefully the drugs will keep her unconscious through most of the process.

A deep slumber.

Something to numb the pain.

These are the only gifts I will ever give her.

Her expression remains blank as I curl my hands into fists, capturing cold air. This is what I wanted, wasn't it? I stole her for this exact purpose. She was never mine, not really. My job was only to keep her safe so another monster could ruin her. I know this, and yet...I shut my eyes and inhale, muscles tensing with......With what?

Regret? Jealousy? Rage?

I hold my breath and the sensation grows like a smoldering fire—slow, thick, deep. I haven't felt anything in so long that I almost like this dark and twisted feeling. I suppose it's good to be reminded that you're still alive, even if it hurts.

Maybe that's why I'm drawn to her. Life is most precious when it is fragile, and she would be so easy to break. I could break her without even meaning to.

In fact, I almost did.

A whimper beneath me. Faint. Feminine. Familiar.

Something in my chest snaps. It's the first time the human female has made a sound since I silenced her scream. Is she waking up?

I lean over her untouched body to investigate, eclipsing her face with my shadow. Unfortunately, it's much too soon. She's still asleep, though it's warm enough now that stasis fluid runs down her bruised cheeks like tears.

Tears. The sharp pang in my chest deepens. Strange how you can miss something you've never had.

She didn't cry when I took her, nor did she beg. There'd been no time for that, which had been my fault. Most tried to kill themselves when they saw me coming. I thought that she would, too. I can't even remember the last time someone actually resisted me. Every muscle in my core tightens as I remember the sweetness of her struggle. The wild panic in her eyes. How she'd flung herself against me with all her pitiful strength, fighting for her life. If only my ruthless instincts hadn't kicked in. I could have allowed it to go on for so much longer.

Enough. The past can't be changed. There's no use dwelling on it.

Stasis fluid continues to melt, cascading down the sides of her body, flowing off the table, pooling at my feet.

There's so little time left. Maybe that's a good thing.

I look down at my rough hands, remembering the impossible softness of her skin. I don't dare touch her. Even now, moments before I send her away, she isn't safe from me. She'll never be safe from me.

Her fate is imprisonment.

Submission, her only escape.

And even then, it won't be enough. Not when those dark beasts of the abyss catch the scent of her innocence.

I wonder what she'll think when she awakens in darkness.

I wonder if she'll be foolish enough to beg for light.