In Enemy Hands Ch. 06

"They're just animals."

"It's life, Varo. And there's more to life than just currency."

"I... okay. It is stunning down here, I'll grant you that. I guess I never stopped to... I'd like to do some more sightseeing. You sure you know your way around down here?" Varo asked.

"I do, don't worry. I'm not going to get us lost. Besides, as I said, we aren't going very far in."

"It's so... huge. It makes you feel so insignificant, you know?" Varo waved his hand at the soaring cave around them. "I mean look at this. No machine did this."

"It's amazing what nature can do, I agree. Come on, I want to show you something." Adlar trudged off with Varo following.

"What is it?"

"Well now, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," Adlar threw over his shoulder. "But I think you'll like it."

Adlar continued to walk ignoring the mutterings he heard behind him. It was amusing, to say the least. As they made their way deep in the cave, Adlar stopped to point out odd rock formations or unique small animals he thought Varo would like.

As they walked, the air took on a coolness that hadn't been there before. The ground gently sloped downward and, the cave walls began to close in. They slipped through a small opening, and then the cavern opened up.

"Goddess," Varo whispered. "It's amazing."

The glowing walls cast light throughout the large space. Bright violet stones gave way to hot pink, the two colors blending perfectly. But that wasn't what stunned Varo. The cavern contained a clear pool of shimmering water with a small island in the middle.

"Isn't it? This pool is actually fed by a hot water spring."

The rock ledges near the water offered places to sit and dip ones feet in the water. Toward the back of the cavern a hole in the ceiling allowed light and more water to enter. Plants had sprung up and bloomed madly around the water's edge.

"Really?" Varo bent down and touched the edge of the pool. "Wow, it's really warm. How nice."

Adlar glanced down at Varo, who was still crouched at the edge of the pool. He looked around the cave. It was only them here. He looked back at the water and debated asking Varo if he wanted to swim. They'd have to strip down and that meant all his weapons would be unsupervised. Could he take that chance?

He glanced back at Varo. Only one way to find out. "It is nice. The hot water feels very good. Would you like to try it?"

* * * *

Varo froze, his hand still in the warm water. He couldn't think of anything he wanted to try more, but Adlar's words still bounced around in his head. The other male had admitted he planned to seduce him.

The thought scared him but at the same time it thrilled him. And he was deathly afraid it wasn't going to take too much, either, which disturbed him greatly. Adlar had showed him a bit of kindness, and here he was ready to roll over and show his belly.

"We don't have to if you don't want to."

But he did, that was the problem. Varo stood and wiped his wet hand on his leg. "I'm guessing this would require we take our clothes off?"

Adlar smirked at him. "Of course."

"Of course," Varo repeated, his voice soft.

"Oh, come on," Adlar goaded. "Dare you, Varo."

Dare him? Dare him? Suddenly he heard his brothers' voices, shrill and taunting, as they dared him to do whatever lark they'd dreamed up. Even though the events occurred along ago, the pain was still there.

Being the youngest hadn't been easy. He spent his childhood trying to prove something to his older brothers and his father. As he grew older and learned how to defend himself, the taunting dwelled to nothing... of course that was after he kicked ass a few times. A side effect of that was he never backed down from a challenge. And he sure wasn't about to start now.

Varo nodded as if he expected nothing else. "Dare accepted."

Did Adlar think that would scare him off? He'd been naked around Adlar already. Okay, it did worry him, but he refused to give in. Adlar said he wouldn't rape him, and as unbelievable as it sounded, he trusted Adlar to keep his word.

Adlar had given Varo no reason to think otherwise. In the short time he'd known Adlar, he'd found the other male to be distressingly honest. This was different from the court he'd grown up around. Most of the royals at his father's court wouldn't know honesty if it bit them on the ass—his dad included.

So Adlar planned to seduce him. Well then, two could play that game. Grabbing the end of his shirt, he pulled it over his head and dropped it next to him. His nipples hardened immediately. Sitting on the edge of one of the rocks, he removed his boots and socks. Standing, with a grin on his face, he faced Adlar with his hands on the snap of his pants.

Adlar raised an eyebrow as he too stripped. "Don't stop on my account."

So help him, if it were the last thing he did, he'd wipe that smirk off Adlar's face. "I'm not."

He unsnapped his pants and let them fall to his feet. Adlar's eyes traveled over his body. With a smirk of his own, Varo kicked them off to the side. Adlar was still staring at him, discarding his own clothes forgotten.

Varo smirked as Adlar just stood there, staring. He had something for that too. "First one to the island wins!"

"Hey!" Adlar shouted as he finished dropping weapons on the ground. "Cheater!"

With a hoot, Varo turned and ran toward the pool. Diving in, he sank below the warm lilac water. It covered his head, and he sank into the depths. Even below the water the Black Phospolrock crystals glowed.

He felt his braid floated out behind him as he swam toward the center of the pool, and then he heard Adlar hit the water behind him. He twisted around and held himself suspended as he watched Adlar swim toward him. Such grace and beauty. And stars, he moves as if he was born in the water.

The need for air pushed him to the surface. He shook his braid out of the way and swam hard, his sure strokes slicing through the water driving him forward as he freestyled to the island. He could hear Adlar gaining behind him. So the other male wanted to turn this into a race, did he?

That was more than fine with him. He dug deep, legs kicking harder to propel him through the water as he sped up. Needing to breathe, he turned his head and took a huge lungful of air. He absolutely refused to—a hand closed over his ankle and the water cut off his startled yelp as Adlar pulled him under.

Thrashing madly he watched Adlar power past him. He'd almost swear he saw that ever-present smirk as Adlar glided by. Oh, you're going to pay for that. Determined to catch Adlar now more than ever, he resumed the chase, giving it his all.

The powerful kicks from Adlar churned the water to the point he was almost swimming blind. Just as he was close enough to grab Adlar, he noticed how swallow the water had become. Then the other male sprang out of the water even as Varo swiped at his ankles. He too burst from the water and chased Adlar up the slight hill that was the island.

"I won!"Adlar spun around to face Varo, his long black braid swinging out behind him and a smirk on his face.

Varo prowled up the hill, water dripping off him, to where Adlar stood in the weak light from the hole in the ceiling. His wet skin glowed in the soft light. Varo's mouth watered as he stared at the beads of water on Adlar's chest. How could one person be this sexy? And that smirk of Adlar's! That cursed smirk was driving him mad.

He continued right on the hill. Adlar's eyes widened. Varo kept coming until he was practically standing on top of Adlar... then he grabbed Adlar behind the head and jerked him close. He'd kiss that smirk right off Adlar.

"Varo, what...?"

The sound Adlar made when he mashed their lips together pleased him. For once, since he landed on this goddess-forsaken planet, he was in control, and he relished the thought. He cupped Adlar's face and slanted his mouth over the other male's.

His thumbs caressed the warm skin under his hands. Adlar stood quietly, allowing Varo to control the kiss. He opened, and Varo thrust in, desperate to taste every inch of Adlar's mouth. He moaned, and his cock hardened. Adlar pulled him closer, and he jerked in surprise. Their hips were flush, and Adlar's hard cock brushed against him.

Still frantically kissing Adlar, Varo tugged other male down with him until they both knelt on the soft grass that covered the hill then pushed Adlar onto his back. I can't believe he's letting me do this.

He waited for Adlar to take over as he'd done all the other times, but the other male willingly sprawled on his back for Varo. Unwilling to believe his luck, and scared it might turn at any time, he covered Adlar's body with his own.

Forced to breathe, he raised his head and gasped for air. Was that him hissing with need? Adlar opened his legs and made room for his body, and Varo forgot everything, including his name.

Adlar grasped Varo's hips with both hands and pulled him tighter against him. Braced on his elbows, he stared down at Adlar.

Yellow eyes hooded and lush mouth slightly open, Adlar stared right back at him, his lips slightly swollen from their kisses. Adlar shifted under him, and his hard shaft brushed against Varo.

His eyes rolled back as pleasure raced through his body. Oh, that's good. His eyes snapped open when Adlar tightened his grasp on his ass and began to grind against him. His precome mixed with Adlar's as they glided against one another, and left him panting.

Is it getting darker in here, or am I about to pass out from lack of oxygen? His wet braid slid across his back, and he jerked against Adlar as it fell by his side. The coolness against his hot skin tickled.

"So good," he whispered, still thrusting against Adlar. He lowered his head until their lips were inches apart.

"Frack." Adlar suddenly reached up, grabbed Varo's braid, and tugged, pulling Varo's head back. "Going to come soon. Come with me."

The slight pain of having his hair pulled scrambled Varo's senses. "Oh, oh, goddess!"

Thrusting madly, his body barreled toward orgasm. The bottom of his spine tingled, and he gritted his teeth. Just a little more! Please, just a little more. I'm almost, almost there. Adlar's other hand slapped down on his naked ass, and a shudder racked Varo.

His belly tightened and a low growl fanned the flames of his desire. Wait? Growl? The next thing he knew he was sailing through the air. Adlar had thrown him off his body. He landed in the water and sunk below the surface. The sudden shock of water cleared his pleasured fogged mind.

Stars and curses, he's lost his mind!

He broke the surface with every intention of chewing Adlar out for that stunt, but the sight that greeted him froze his voice. Still flat on his back, Adlar fought a huge, elongated cylindrical-shaped segmented creature. On each segment was one pair of wiggling legs.

It had a flattened head with a pair of extended mandibles and feathery antennae that it waved violently. Adlar had a hold of the creature's frontal claws. Aw goddess, that's a Centipes! There was no mistaking the bright aposematic colors of the animal. The creature had a pair of venom claws on the first pair of legs that Adlar desperately held onto.

Varo's hair stood on end from the growls coming from it.

And Adlar was naked. He had nothing to fight the thing except brute strength. Without stopping to think, Varo plowed through the water then dove in, swimming hard to where they'd dropped their clothes on the other bank... and Adlar's weapons. He threw himself out of the water, the horrifying snap of the Centipes' jaws following him as he hurried to Adlar's weapon stash.

Picking up the phaser, he checked the setting. It was set to stun only, he saw. He turned back to the combatants and took aim, waiting for one clear shot. That's all I need, just one shot. Come on you ugly son of a freenip, give me a shot!

The creature and Adlar writhed together, a dance of deadly intent. Blood covered Adlar's sides. Did the animal have burrs on its legs? It had to. Why else would Adlar be bleeding? Even from here he could see its short little legs brushing against Adlar's sides.

He held the phaser steady, his breathing steady, as he waited for a shot. Then it hit him. What was he doing? By the stars' fading light this was his chance to escape. Adlar was distracted, maybe possibly injured, and weaponless. And here he was holding the phaser, waiting to shoot the creature. What was he thinking? He needed to aim at Adlar.

He could take Adlar's shuttle and maybe, just maybe, he could trick the Helkans into letting him past the Satellite Surveillance Network then he could... probably get shot of out the sky. Who was he kidding? He'd never make it.

And he couldn't stand here and let that animal kill Adlar. Maybe his father was right. Maybe he really was an idiot. Steadying his hand he waited. The creature was well over three feet in length but Adlar managed to stiff-arm the animal away from him.

Varo took the shot.

The animal screamed, the anger echoing around the cave, but it scampered away from Adlar. Moving faster than Varo thought possible it hit the water and swam toward one of the cave walls. Varo followed its escape with the phaser. He watched it climb the wall and scuttle across the ceiling to the hole in the upper part of the cave.

"Creepy." Varo watched the tail of the thing disappear from view.

"Indeed."

Now Varo found himself faced with yet another dangerous animal. Adlar lay on the ground, one elbow braced to hold him up. He plastered his other hand to one particularly bad wound that seeped blood.

Varo lowered the phaser but didn't release it. One sound and he could have me on the ground thanks to this collar. So, why doesn't he activate it?

"Varo, they tend to hunt in pairs. Could you... could you come here and help me back? And bring the phaser, just in case."

Adlar had knocked him out of the way and saved him. He'd risked his life to save him. No one else had ever done such.

"Ah, okay." Varo knew then that even with the weapon, he was still helpless to Adlar. And it had nothing to do with the weapons. "Keep an eye out while I get over there, please."

Goddess help him, he was falling for the cursed Helkan.

"Oh, believe me," Adlar huffed, darting a quick look at the ceiling of the cave. "I will."

Varo swiftly made his way back to the island where Adlar lay mentally kicking himself the whole way. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He reached the island and waded ashore. A couple of feet from Adlar he stopped.

From where he stood he saw tension flood Adlar's body. He didn't blame the other male. After all he held Adlar's phaser. For all Adlar knew, Varo had changed the setting to kill instead of stun.

Could he shoot Adlar before the collar activated? It wasn't worth finding out. He didn't want to find out. The other male didn't speak, just waited. Varo clutched the phaser, his knuckles whitening as he moved closer to Adlar. Adlar's eyes moved from the weapon to Varo's face, his face carefully blank.

Ever so slowly Varo bent down and held the weapon out to Adlar. "Here."

Adlar looked at the phaser, then back up to Varo, before taking it. "Thank you, Varo."

"Yeah, no problem." Wanting to change the subject, Varo glanced at Adlar's side. "Is that bad?"

"No, and the burrs on the legs aren't poisonous. Most of the cuts aren't deep except the one on my hip. Can you help me get back to our clothes?"

"Sure." Glad Adlar wasn't going to question him as to why he'd gave up the weapon so easily, Varo offered his hand to Adlar and pulled him up. "Lean on me."

As they made their way to the water, Varo noticed the bleeding at Adlar's side was slowing. The splash of red against Adlar's pale skin affected Varo more than he would have thought. That creature could have killedAdlar, and that bothered him.

The whole trip was turning into an introspective nightmare he wanted no part of. They entered the water, and Adlar hissed softly as they swam back to where their clothes were. Once they made the other bank, Varo helped Adlar dress, and then dressed himself.

Neither one of them said a word as Varo handed the rest of Adlar's weapons to him. After they dressed, Varo helped Adlar out of the cave. They still had a ways to walk in order to get back to Adlar's home. The midday sun was up, even though it was still dim, thanks to the cloud cover.

"Are you capable of making it back?"

Adlar's lips twitched. "Are you worried about me, Varo?"

Varo kept an eye on Adlar as they walked along the path back to the house. "I, ah... well. Let's just say I know, have gotten used to."

"Better the Helkan you know, eh?"

Varo shrugged. "Exactly."

The rest of the trip back wasn't nearly as fun as getting there. Adlar immediately went to the bathroom, washed his hair, and showered. Varo found himself pulled into the impromptu shower with Adlar, but this time there was no playing around.

Adlar washed and got out while Varo stayed in a little longer. Varo finished washing. As he did, he watched Adlar towel dry his hair then open a cabinet and remove a medikit. That didn't surprise him. He'd kept one in his bathroom at home too.

Although, Adlar's kit appeared to be better stocked than the one he'd owned. Adlar stripped, then treated the various scratches and cuts left from the attack with a salve from the kit. He used the bandages to seal the wound, and then gave himself a shot of some sort of medicine.

With one last check to his wound, Adlar left the bathroom. Varo ended his shower, returned to the bedroom, and redressed. He found Adlar was sitting on the edge of the bed. The other male looked up when Varo sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?"

"I am. Just a little uncomfortable, but I really am fine."

Varo nodded. He expected no less. "Just curious. Did you know those things were there?"

"Actually, no. I've explored that cave numerous times and never seen them, but I shouldn't have been surprised. The caves support many different kinds of wildlife. The odd thing is it attacked us. They're carnivorous, but there isn't data to support them being man-eaters. We never did find its partner, and they always hunt in twos."

"Huh." Varo scratched his chin. "I wonder if it had babies."

"Possibly." Adlar yawned. "That would explain why it attacked something as big as us. Anyway, I think I'm going to take a short nap. The medicine I injected earlier has a slight sedation affect."

"You trust me enough to take a nap?" Varo joked.

Adlar stared at Varo. "More than I thought I would." Then Adlar suddenly grinned. "Of course, you're welcome to nap with me."

"I'm not the one who was injured from fighting a four foot Centipes."

"True. Let me sleep for two unit hours, would you? Then wake me. Oh, and stay on the premises, please. You may watch some visual entertainments in my office or read. You know how to work the storage unit that holds the disks, right?"

And just like that, we're back to where we were before."Yes, it's a lot like what I had. Thank you." Varo stood. "And I'll wake you as you asked."

"Good." Adlar lay on the bed.

Varo slipped from the room. It did surprise him Adlar would nap with him close by and awake. But he slept by the male last night and looked like he would every night. Maybe Adlar didn't think Varo would attack him, and he was right. There was no point. He couldn't out-fight Adlar.

And now he didn't think he could kill him... and besides, he had no way off this hunk of rock.

Varo left the bedroom. He was thirsty, so he made his way to the kitchen. He fixed himself something to drink and sat at the table. His mind wandered. He'd seen Adlar feed, and saw that the male he fed from was okay.