Page 11 of Beast Unburdened

Eventually, there were shuffling sounds and a tremulous female voice spoke, “The city or the state?” I couldn’t help but laugh, it was just too nice to hear a fellow human, even if that meant I wasn’t the only one in dire circumstances. “The city of course!”

“God… I can’t believe this is real,” the woman spoke sadly. “Tell me your favorite comfort food please, something an alien wouldn’t know...” I rolled my eyes, as if naming a dish would prove anything. But I could understand her need to be reassured, maybe to even hear some familiar words.

So I said, “New York Cheesecake, Matzo ball soup, Belgium chocolate, clam chowder, pizza!” Just saying the words made me hungry, I seriously doubted I’d ever eat any of those things again. The woman must have had the same thoughts because I heard her crying. She didn’t say anything for a long time, eventually, I started talking to her.

“I know it’s not a comfort, you’ve been stolen from your home same as me. But it’s going to be alright, I’ll keep you safe. There are more allies here than you know.” I didn’t know what else to say, didn’t know how to help the poor woman and she just kept crying.

The others on the cellblock said nothing either, probably they understood far better than I did the realities we were facing. Maybe they didn’t want to offer her any false hope but I really wanted, no needed, to believe in Ziame’s escape attempt. I didn’t think I could face it if that didn’t work out.

My big green roommate came up behind me at some point and curled the blanket around my shaking shoulders. “Come lay down, get warm again. There is nothing you can do right now.” I knew he meant well, knew he was right even but it still made me angry. I hated being helpless, hated having all my choices taken from me, and hated being unable to comfort a crying woman because we were locked up like animals.

Stiff shoulders and balled fists didn’t deter Ziame though. He picked me up bridal style as if I weighed absolutely nothing, instead of being a six-foot-tall woman. He placed me on his lap as he sat down on the cot and curled me tightly into his arms, rocking me. It wasn’t until I’d calmed down a little that I realized I’d been crying too. Damn it! I was stronger than this! I was!

Chapter 6

Ziame

I hated seeing my Abigail cry. She had been so brave and strong from the moment we met, fighting back. But hearing her fellow human cry, talking about home, it had reminded her of all she lost. I held her tightly in my arms, offering her solace and warmth and feeling grateful that at least she was letting me give her this.

When she’d exhausted herself she finally fell asleep and I was grateful for that too, it was good to find a moment of peace in dreams. I didn’t even mind that now I was still stuck with the hated pain collar another day; the appearance of the new human had to change our plans. We needed to make absolutely certain that she too was safe while we fought and defeated the guards.

I debated what to do for some time, my conscience wanted me to tuck Abigail into bed and sit down next to her like I had the previous night. I liked holding her close to me too much though, I’d been touched starved for three years and I was soaking up the weight and warmth of her body against mine like a plant soaking up water in a desert.

It wasn’t just that though, it was Abigail, she smelled so good and she was so beautiful with her dark brown skin and wild black curls. Then there was that brave clever mind of hers, she hadn’t given up once and I didn’t count now either. I was certain that come morning she’d bounce right back, ready to figure a way out of this new predicament too.

In the end, I lay down with her on the cot, it was too small for both of us side by side; the damn cot was too small for me period. With my feet hanging over the end and my right horn scraping against the wall I could lie on my back with Abigail curled up on my chest, tucked close with my arms and my tail.

Like that it was easy to fall asleep and when I woke up that next morning with her still right there, tucked up all warm and cozy, that was easy too. I wanted to bask in that moment, in her presence just a little longer but I couldn’t wait to see her open those pretty brown eyes which were tilted just a tad, making them look sharp and clever.

When she woke, she froze for a brief moment, her eyes blinking in the dark and I was reminded of the fact that her eyes needed far more light to see in these settings than I did. Then she inhaled deeply and burrowed her cold nose down against my throat. “Ziame,” she sighed, and then she added a little more sternly. “I usually don’t sleep with a guy before he’s bought me dinner.”

I didn’t know what buying her dinner had to do with it precisely but I caught her meaning just fine and hope soared through my chest. I didn’t care what I sounded like at all when I asked with a parched mouth, “You mean to say you’d be amenable to such things if I did?” I know I didn’t say it out loud, how monstrous I looked compared to her but I was certain she understood.

Her body shifted a little and I stifled a groan at the feel of her sweet curves sliding against the hard planes of my body. “I...” she said and then her shoulders straightened and I knew I was going to get total honesty, I braced myself for rejection.

“Yes, I think I’d like that,” she said. I stared at her, shocked and surprised and suddenly oddly happy. I hadn’t been happy in three long years so it was a very strange feeling to experience. “Really?” I asked and I could hear how husky and shocked my voice sounded, no doubt she heard it too.

One delicate hand reached up to pat the side of my face, “Yes. Really, I’d like to get to know you better. Once we’re not stuck in a cell together and are free to make our own choices.” I reveled in the soft stroke of her fingers on my scales and then realized my cheeks were hurting, probably because I wasn’t used to smiling anymore.

Still, honesty bade me tell her of our differences. “You must know that my mouth… It’s far different from those soft tempting lips of yours. My species, we can’t kiss the way humans do.” Her fingers froze for a moment on my face and I could practically hear her thinking, then said fingers slid down my jaw.

I didn’t have a sharp snout the way the Sune had but it was more snout than flat-faced like a human regardless. My blunt snout was tipped with a wide nose which had been pierced with a gold ring, that was a common thing among my species but my owner perverted it, enjoying hooking a chain to it and parading me around on a lead like I was a dumb beast of burden.

Now Abigail’s delicate fingers trailed across that nose and touched the ring and it wasn’t until I heard the shallow intake of her breath that I focused on her instead of my own thoughts. Flicking out my tongue I tasted the air, her pheromones and I realized her scent told me many things; none of them bad. She did want me, she was attracted, and touching my face which was so very different from hers wasn’t putting her off.

“I think we can work around that as long as that’s the biggest issue,” she murmured, sounding thoughtful. Despite her darker skin, I could easily detect the heat rising to her cheeks. “Uh… I mean, if the other parts line up alright that is...”

Ah, she wanted to know if my cock would fit. This at least I could confidently answer with a solid yes. “Do not worry, I am much like a human male in that regard, we will fit,” then I groaned at the imagery those thoughts provoked. We were getting ahead of ourselves, I was at least. She’d agreed to try to explore a relationship, not share pleasure immediately after we got out. She might not want to at all once she was free and had more choices.

The thought of her getting to know one of the other males in the cellblock, picking one of them to share her bed with. It had me fight back an angry and possessive growl. I didn’t think I could handle seeing her with another male.

Abigail was still blushing but she was leaning up towards my face, one hand reaching up to curl around the base of one of my horns. “That’s good to know,” she said and then she pressed her lips to my cheek. “Seriously Ziame, you smell so damn good. How do you do it? I must stink to high heaven after several days without a shower. But you...”

I preened at her compliment but then reassured her, “You smell fantastic to me. Honestly Abigail. Besides, they let us shower after our training sessions at the gym.” She groaned and thumped her small fist on my pec, “That’s not fair!”

The lights came on in the hallway then and Abigail stiffened, “Shit! We’re idiots, we should have worked on your collar and instead, we were flirting!” Maybe she had a point, but I couldn’t regret a single bit of that conversation.

Nuzzling my snout against the side of her face I inhaled her precious scent, enjoyed the softness of her curls against my scales. “We need to change our plans, the other female is unprotected right now. We have to make sure she isn’t harmed.”