Sigma, p.13
Sigma, page 13
“I knew things had gotten rough. Even at eight years old, I could feel the tension between him and my mother. They were fighting a lot over bills and my father’s dream of being a successful musician. Mom wanted him to give up on it and get a job, but daddy couldn’t give it up.”
Now, I can see how selfish that was of him. When I was younger, I blamed my mother for the fights. But we were struggling to make ends meet, she was working like a dog, and he didn’t want to let go of a dream that wasn’t supporting his family.
I let out a staggering breath. “The morning my life changed, he dropped me off at school, and he was quiet. I remember, before I got out of the car, he told me he loved me and that he would pick me up after school like he always did.” I pause, once again fighting emotions.
“I waited in the rain for two hours for him. The principal kept trying to tell me he wasn’t coming, but I didn’t believe her. My trust in men was forever shattered.”
“Did he ever apologize for leaving you stranded?” Sigma asks.
“No. Daddy never came back that day. He’s remained vacant from my life ever since.”
“I am so sorry, Uvonu.”
I laugh, but it isn’t cheerful. “I wish my disappointment in men stopped there but no. After daddy left, my mom took it hard. She blamed herself for him leaving and ended up on drugs. They became her everything. She was in and out of the house on binges so much we hardly saw her.
“My brother Jonesy stepped up to the plate to raise me. He was five years older than me. He taught me how to survive and how to read people. He showed me how to determine who I could trust and who I couldn’t.”
It’s his life lessons that got me through my few years in foster care. Without Jonesy, I’d probably be worse off than I am now. I can only imagine what that would look like.
I continue, “He was all I had for so long that I forgot about the lesson I learned from my father. I started to trust that Jonesy would always be there for me. Then one day he too didn’t come home. I had no idea where he was. For three days, I stayed in a cold apartment with no food waiting for him to come back. I was thirteen at the time. Eventually, a neighbor found me and reported me to the authorities. I learned that he had been arrested for robbery. He died after only serving two years of his fifteen-year prison sentence.”
“What happened then?”
I shake my head because the story doesn’t get better.
“I was put in foster care where I met even more untrustworthy men. At sixteen, I was done with it all, and I ran away. I took care of myself until I eventually met Miguel, and well, you know where that lead me.”
“Here with me,” he says. I turn this time to look at him and smile.
“Yes, here with you.”
“Good,” he says before turning his back to me to face the door again. “Sleep now, Uvonu. You are safe from the untrustworthy men.”
I don’t argue with Sigma. I don’t tell him that I will never be safe. Not as long as Miguel is out there. Instead, I roll over to my side and twirl my finger in the short sleeve of his shirt. I allow his presence and the sound of my breathing to ease me to sleep.
chapter eighteen
Test
Sigma
Reynolds leads me to the cafeteria; behind us are two more guards with their guns aimed at me.
The compound is in an uproar. A few of the rogues tried to impregnate some of the breeders. Their lack of knowledge has led to the death of those breeders.
I take my seat beside Alpha. Gamma is across from me, and Beta is beside him. Omega is on the other side of me.
“Where’s your best friend?” Beta taunts with a smile.
The others chuckle beside me. Zee is with Shiloh.
After her confession last night, I have not wanted her to be alone. I do not like the story of heartache and disappointment my Uvonu told me. I especially did not like when her eyes filled with tears. My need to protect her has grown exponentially.
So even though her ribs are fully healed, I cannot allow her to go back to the breeders’ quarters.
“He is not my best friend,” I grumble, cutting into my meat. It is some type of animal, fried and covered in a thick gravy.
“Leave him alone,” Alpha says with a laugh. “Give me an update on the Rogue’s breeders?”
Leaning back on the bench seat, I place my hands to the ground and quickly find the hospital records.
“The final breeder has just died,” I say sitting up straight.
Alpha hums in my head.
“What do you think caused the Rogues to defy your orders?” Omega asks through the link.
“They are testing my control. The longer we stay here, the more they will try to push back. I do not blame them. The substance in their blood is slowly driving them mad.”
“How much closer are we to putting our plan in action?” Gamma asks the question that is normally reserved for me.
“Statistically speaking, the odds are not in our favor at this time. With Alpha’s Uvonu still unaware of their connection, it would be unwise of him to leave without sealing their bond first. Not to mention there are records of her coming here. If he takes her, they will suspect the bodies we have placed are not all ours. Also, I still have not figured out what is going on with Strong. I believe he has another weapon he thinks will kill us. I have not found the design or any other mention of the weapon to dispel or prove his theory. Plus, we do not have the sufficient number of bodies that will cover our tracks.”
When I look back up from my plate, the others are staring at me.
“Okay what is going on with you?” Beta asks.
“I know this is not my common stance on the situation. However, it is the right decision to wait a little longer.” I go on to explain.
“He’s right,” Alpha adds. “I have no right to ask you to wait, but I need to establish my bond with my Uvonu first. I cannot leave here without her.”
“We will stay,” Gamma says, and we follow with the same declaration.
We go back to eating, until I notice Strong enter the cafeteria. Every time he comes into a room with me, my hackles go up. I cannot pinpoint why I have such an adverse reaction to the man. I dislike him; that is obvious; however, this is something else.
“Heads up,” I say to Alpha. “Strong is up to something.”
“I feel it,” he says without turning to acknowledge the man.
We all freeze when a soldier walks in. He’s young, but not one I’ve seen often. We all register the scent on him the same time Alpha does.
My leader vibrates beside me with rage.
“Why is her scent on him?” he questions in the link.
Before I can respond, the young guard hurries to Asim and pulls out a piece of fabric from his pocket. Immediately we know what the white cloth is.
“This is not going to end well,” Gamma mutters.
Alpha roars loudly and leaps to his feet.
“Calm yourself,” I say in our private link. “This is a trap.” Even if I didn’t just see Stronghold up his hand to stop the guards from tranquilizing him, I would have known this was a trap. No one has been allowed in his Uvonu’s room except Donovan and Strong. Donovan only drops off food, and he immediately leaves.
My words are ignored as Alpha charges for the soldier and kill him easily. We all stand in unison, awaiting his next orders.
He bends down, picks up the underwear, and brings them to his nose to sniff.
“Prepare yourself,” Alpha says in the main link. “Today we will add more bodies to the count.”
The soldiers attempt to subdue Alpha, but he takes them down one by one.
“Zee,” I call out to him through a private link. “Is my Uvonu safe?”
“She is well, Mr. Sigma, but have you heard of this Superman character she speaks of?”
I see Shiloh is introducing Zee to all of her human depictions of aliens. “Yes,” I grumble as I remember how the red undertones in her skin became more pronounced when she spoke of that particular alien. “We need bodies. Alpha is causing a distraction, time to collect. Anyone that dies or go missing now will get lumped in with the ones he will kill.”
“I’m on it.”
I break off the connection to Zee knowing he will do what I ask of him. Meanwhile, we use one of our ancient war tactics from the old world. The grunting confuses and disturbs our enemies in battle.
The main link opens, and the body counts start to roll in. As of now, we can add four to our secret stash.
The door to the cafeteria opens, and more guards pour in. We aren’t worried about them overpowering our leader in any way. A few of the rogues become antsy to join in with Alpha. Omega and I both snap at them to get them under control.
Then finally, the game Strong is playing comes to an end. Donovan rushes into the room carrying Alpha’s Uvonu. Strong hurries over to her and pulls her from Donavan. She whispers. Alpha’s name, and we all stop.
I study the human, comparing her to mine. Her skin is slightly lighter than my Uvonu’s. Her eyes softer and down turned. They look sad and scared, but they lack the same fire like Shiloh had. Her lips are just as full as my human’s, but her face is more rounded. She wears a scarf over her hair, whereas my human has twisted hers into a small individual twist. I wonder would Shiloh prefer a wrap like Alpha’s Uvonu?
“Hey,” The human whispers through chattering teeth.
Alpha rushes to her side. Watching him with her, has me longing for the human I have stored away.
I open the connection to Zee.
“Where are you?” I demand of him.
“Back with Shiloh. She heard the commotion. She is asking for you.”
I do not have words to explain the feeling that now warms my limbs. Her concern for me is humbling.
“Tell her I am alright.”
Silence follows my command. “You’re allowing me to speak to her?”
I understand his caution. I first forbade him from talking to her and even threatened to kill him if he did. However, I do not want her to worry over me, and I will not be able to get back to her until it is time for our dinner.
“Yes. Do not make me regret this decision.”
His excitement causes the connection to crackle.
Alpha gets our attention as he lifts his human in his arms. The main link opens.
“Do not disturb me for the rest of the day,” he growls and then cuts the link off completely.
More than half of the guards leave, following Alpha out. The other small handful starts to grow nervous when they notice they are outnumbered.
“What do we do?” one of the soldiers asks.
“Take them back to their cells,” Another answer. “They have training in two hours.”
Beta opens the main link. “I need all those bodies brought to the lower level. Sigma will meet you there to help dispose of them. Everyone else head back to your cells. We need to keep a low profile for the rest of the day. Alpha is busy, and we will not be the reason he is disturbed.”
Most of us agree easily, but anger vibrates the link from a few rogues. Beta cuts away from the main link to connect to the commander link.
“Keep an eye on those that aren’t pleased,” He warns. “I know Alpha is not worried, but I don’t like how they are challenging him.”
“I agree, and I’m on it,” Gamma replies eagerly.
The guards that are left begin to separate us; their guns aim shakily as they escort us out of the cafeteria.
As soon as we are sealed in our cells, and the floor is clear, I make my escape. I met Zee and a few others in the area we are storing the bodies. With each body that is tossed in the pit, I work my gift to remove their names from the system.
“Is that all of them?” I ask Zee.
“Yes.”
We ended up with a total of five bodies. Once the others have all went back to their cells to await training, I head to see her.
I dislike the edgy feeling when I am away from her. She is a hindrance to me. It is time I let her go. Today, I’m going to send her back to the unit with the other breeders.
Pushing open the door, I stop in my tracks when my eyes fall upon her. She’s lying across the small bed, wearing only one of my t-shirts. The hem of the shirt stops right where her thighs turn into the curve of her buttocks.
Her body glistens, and I can smell the powdery soap that I found for her. She must have recently showered. She’s on her stomach, her feet up in the air swaying back and forth.
She looks over her shoulder at me and smiles so big, my breathing becomes labored.
“Hey, Siggy. What’s a six-letter word that means strips in Geography class?”
I run through my knowledge of the English language. “Isthmi.”
She laughs. “I knew you would know the answer.”
She then turns back to her crossword puzzle. I remember once again what I had planned to tell her when I came in here. I move further into the room and then take a seat on the side of the bed.
Shiloh rolls to her side and peers up at me. Her brow creases, and her puzzle forgotten.
“Everything alright?”
Her concern quickens my heart. I am thankful she cannot feel mine the way I feel hers.
“Is it about the noise from earlier? Zee said nothing was wrong, but he then ran out of here like he was late for work.”
“Everything is as it should be. What would you like for dinner tonight?” I berate myself in my head for not being strong enough to tell her what needed to be said. When I send her back to the breeder’s unit, I will no longer be able to visit her as I wish. Their floor is much more patrolled than ours.
“Ooh, what are my options?” She rolls over and sits up in the bed, folding her knees under her.
I reach around her, bringing my face so close to her that I not only hear but feel her breath hitch. Placing my hand on the wall behind her, I find the cafeteria computer and pull the menu off.
“Lasagna and cobb salad, or baked chicken, mixed vegetables, and baked potato.”
Her eyes are close, and her breath comes out in little pants. She swallows before she replies.
“Lasagna sounds good.”
I’ve studied my human reactions very closely. This one is new; it also comes with a scent that has my meaty appendage leaking. Peculiar.
I lean away from her, giving her space again. Her eyes open, and she lets out a breath followed by a chuckle. Yet, neither of us has said anything that would warrant a laugh.
“I will bring your meal tonight.” I stand, needing to put distance between us. I’m not sure why I desire suddenly to taste that unfamiliar scent on my tongue. Where is it coming from?
I go to leave, but she quickly climbs off the bed.
“Wait.” Her fingers twirl in the fabric of my shirt she’s wearing, causing it to ride up and give me a glimpse of her legs. I tilt my chin to the right; the scent seems to be radiating from between her legs.
“Do you have to leave right now?”
It takes me a moment to register her question. That scent is maddening and distracting. My tongue slips out and runs along my bottom lip. I must distance myself from her and this new magnificent, yet unfamiliar scent.
“I must return to my cell, Uvonu. It is imperative that I do not risk getting put in lockdown.” The thought alone makes my hands tighten in fist. If I’m in lockdown, I cannot be with her nor protect her.
Her head drops, and she takes a step back. “I understand.”
This is when I should leave. Yet, instead, I step closer to her and place my hand on her shoulder. Her sad eyes look up at me.
“I can stay for only a little longer.”
The smile on her face is worth the pain of resisting the scent.
“How about a round of Uno?”
I roll my eyes. “If you wish.”
**
I give my human two hours of my time before I leave. Though the sweet scent subsided, it still lingered in the room. Thankfully, I was able to maintain control.
I slip back into my room as quietly as I slipped out. I have a few hours before I take Shiloh dinner. I find my favorite position against the wall. My member has been hard and painful since I stepped into her room. It isn’t unusual, it is always painfully stiff when she is near. However, today feels different.
I tug at the heavy girth and blissful pleasure has my toes curling and a hiss coming from my mouth. What was that? I repeat the action and get the same outcome as before.
Loosening my belt and unzipping my pants, I pull myself out to examine it. It stands stiffly in the air. It has never been this hard; it feels like steel in my hands. The veins on the side seem to throb, the head looks purple, and continues to leak the useless substance.
I tighten my grasp on it, my large hand wrapping around it, allowing my thumb and forefinger to touch. I move up and then down. My eyes close, and my head falls back against the wall as pleasure fills my limbs.
A vision of my Uvonu pops in my head. Her bright smile and mismatched eyes causing my length to jerk in my grasp. My grip moves faster, causing my stomach muscles to tighten.
The memory of her lying across the bed, her thighs shimmering with the substance called lotion. Just like today, the vision in my head looks over her shoulder at me. However, instead of her asking about a crossword puzzle, my mind conjures up the image of her asking me to taste the scent from between her legs.
I groan in ecstasy as my legs begin to tingle. The image in my head then turns into Shiloh standing before me smiling. Her shirt riding up showing me that glimpse of her legs. My fist tightens onto my steel, and I work hard, even pumping my hips into my grip.
Then it happens, a feeling I have never experienced erupts through my body. I roar up into the ceiling as ropes upon ropes of pearly white substance shoots from me. It continues to spew as my body shakes from aftershocks. When it finally subsides, I fall to my side feeling completely spent.
The pounding of footsteps coming near my cell gets my attention. I have just enough time to tuck myself away before the viewing window on my door slides open. Reynolds peers through the opening; he scans the room until he finds me.
