Chapter 28

"You're mine, you're my little fyre bug, and no one, no one in this Solividian honey comb is going to touch one hair on your head, I promise you that, I promise you that," Lemeri has been talking non-stop since she met six year old Fyre.

I sit in a bathtub, sat within these strange things called bubbles – while Lemeri is painting Fyre's face after braiding her mangled long blonde hair, which turned blonde recently after all the dirt and dust washed out.

"Why do you talk so bloody much, lady?" Fyre has attempted to insult Lemeri so far, but failed miserably because Lemeri would laugh so sweetly every time – as if every insult was a kiss.

It was strange, watching from afar, how Lemeri obsessed over Fyre the same way she obsessed over me the first few times we interacted.

Lemeri walked like a confident Queen but she had a quiet desperation screaming from her eyes, she seemed so lonely in so many ways. I was picking up on her forced positivity, now that I was less in my own troubled mind and able to look outward.

"I have just the thing for you, little one," Lemeri grabs Fyre's cheeks and almost gets bitten, but she's already laughing that off also as she narrowly avoids a flesh wound.

"What?" Fyre snaps, looking sideways at me and pleading with me to save her.

I just stare back silently, from behind my bubbles – because I don't really know what I can do to save her right now. Lemeri was too far gone with her.

"Drawing, you can draw your stories," Lemeri is excited but must have forgotten her age.

And her temper.

Fyre now spits out at Lemeri – and laughs when the glob of saliva lands on her pert nose.

"You're a fuckwit!" Fyre laughs as Lemeri finally loses her smile, pulls back and calmly washes the filth from her face, as she purses her lips and looks at her reflection, attempting to retain her composure.

"I am… surprised," Lemeri glances over at me, "By your choice in slaves, Ryder. You'd think you'd choose more obedient temperaments."

"We're not –" I can't even finish.

"You stole me to be a slave?" Fyre slips off her chair, her eyes focus on my neck and she sprints for me across the washroom, ready to strangle me.

She has no sense of manners or patience, because every day was living as a wild animal in a landscape designed to kill human Kind through brutal fashion.

I am prepared, however, for all this kind of reaction.

"I am a slave myself, calm down," I answer firm, moments before Fyre's fist almost flies through my face.

Instead, her hands slam to the rim of the bathtub, her mangled face by pain and anger, is dolled up by Lemeri's attempt to paint flowers over Fyre's cheeks.

"Then how," Fyre tries very hard to remain stoic, "Then how."

"How what?" I ask, still stern.

"How do you have power here?" Fyre whispers, "How are you not dead – why are you fed?"

"Alpha Skye is my… captor," I don't want to say master, but even so, Fyre's eyes flame up with buried understanding. I expect her to interrogate me next – but now, of all times, her tough exterior breaks and the child steps through. A high pitched sob escapes her lips as she drops down to her knees, and I quickly rush out of the bath, wrapping up in a towel and helping bring Fyre back into the more comfortable living area with the added help from Lemeri.

We set her on a couch and Fyre immediately curls up into a corner, facing away from us, refusing to move as she cries herself under.

Lemeri is standing back with a hand on her heart, pouting, looking pitiful.

I am the opposite.

I was mostly numb but now the panic of that fear strikes through me.

Buried fear.

Fear that I have become too complacent towards my captor and the orchestrator of my Kind's death and genocide.

Why… why was I feeling complacent around Skye – why was I even enjoying his company? I came in wanting to slit his throat, and now I apparently loved him in a way.

A monster.

Who I know now – is indeed – brutal.

For Wolf Dominion.

Understanding to Wolf Dominion.

Brutal to any others.

Even species that belong to Genesis, who live under the same Genesis Moon.

"Ryder are you alright?" Lemeri calls to me as I'm now silently walking from her place – to return to Skye's residence.

I can't answer her as I need time.

And I need space.

I make my own way back to Skye's Solividian home above everyone else – and of course I am greeted down one golden hall by Helpers, who see me approach and take it upon them to escort me to my cage.

Instead of fighting, I listen, and I observe.

I'm put away, and as my glass door clicks shut in Skye's office, I sit back feeling and thinking about everything.

I was numb – but Fyre was traumatised, on the surface.

A child who didn't know any better.

Children, my mother and father used to tell me, deserved love, safety and kindness, but most importantly protection… because they could not defend themselves nor understand how cruel this world could be. But if they did grow to understand or experience such cruelty, it was the greatest disservice, the greatest evil, the greatest failing of an adult to allow that to happen, or worse, encourage it by being complacent to abuse.

Fyre changes everything for me.

I had become accustomed to a semi-comfortable life with Skye that involved free food, some attention, new experiences and even training. It was all incredibly distracting from my moral code.

I'd rather die, Fyre said, than be a slave.

A bold statement.

However, a more mature spin would sound a little like this; I rather live.

To do so, would mean I could change lives.

Even if I failed, at least I could try.

Fyre would be protected under my wing, with Lemeri, even if she was a little disconnected from the reality of my species situation.

In fact, I was doing everything correct so far.

I had retrieved one of my Kind and helped them into a situation where they could be fed and clothed, perhaps educated. They were at risk in here, but slightly less risk than out there alone and starved.

The next step I did well?

Sitting within my cage.

Alpha Skye…

I was Alpha Skye's slave.

I was Alpha Skye's lover; in training and learning.

I was his… f –

Friend? No.

Never.

I was not his friend.

I could never, ever be his friend.

Lover… absolutely, as it was only momentary.

But choosing a man, or a mate, would not change my values or my goals.

I needed to retain my position of invisibility – while empowering my species, one at a time, in any way I could. I didn't need a plan, I needed a clear head and heart.

Obey my enemy. Disobey the command. Infiltrate the food source, the water source, the shelter. Acquire knowledge – and share it all around.

Until, eventually, the worms grew too formidable to bash down so swiftly.

It was simple.

I needed to feed my people, make them strong and give them a chance.

The rest would be Alpha Skye's problem.