The Human Rayce Ch. 01

My eyes open in the middle of the night - shoot, I mean morning - or do I mean night? I don't even care anymore. The blaring alarm clock pisses me off until I remember what it was for and decide to spare its life. The meeting. It's broad daylight out there, I mean 3:00 pm kind of broad daylight, but the entire base is locked down, airtight. No light gets in through the heavily tinted windows. We're constantly in the dark - because that's what you want to hear from your armed forces...

I cast a glance to Matteo's side of the room, but his bed is empty. I push the thought of him from my mind while I slip on a coat over my tank top. He's probably with a client, I reason, bitter.

The Generals' Lounge is on the top floor. I have to press my thumb against a scanner pad just to gain access. The way the button lights up to grant access sends me on a mini power trip. Back home in Clear, when I have to give my thumbprint, it's usually because I'm about to be locked up. But here? It opens doors.

The elevator doors slide open soundlessly on the lounge floor and soft pink light fills my vision. The atmosphere reminds me of an ultra-exclusive strip club, transporting me back to nights out on the town at Clear, first with friends and gradually all by myself. Pretty little things wove between poles in a pink dreamscape, their delicate hands on my chest trying to coax out tips while I tried to coax them into the back of my car. We usually succeeded. Fuck - half of them probably weren't even legal and I wish that was the reason they locked me up. Much more street cred.

Suffice to say it's a funny choice for a meeting... As my eyes adjust to the sultry mood lighting, I find a large circular table bracketed by curved burgundy sofas. At the head of the arrangement is a deep purple seat that looks oddly close to a throne. It's empty but top tier generals and lieutenants lounge on the sofas dressed casually in sports jackets and polo tees. Well now I feel overdressed!

Sure enough, there's a drink in every hand; a kaleidoscope of glowing neon alcohol. Huh. Looks like I won't have to make small talk after all: 'Can you believe this economy?' 'Some economy we're having, huh?' 'Not in this economy!' Wait, fuck, those were my only conversation starters.

"Rayce?" A familiar voice jolts me out of my thoughts. Matteo? It was easy to miss him standing in the corner wearing a tan trench coat designed to avert as much attention as possible. His gaze turns watery and fearful. "Oh god." Then he buries his face in his hands. Before I can wonder about it, one of the lieutenants stands up.

"Sergeant Gunner! Welcome." Sergeant Gunner? Okay, I like the sound of that. The lieutenant who spoke is tall and thin. Dark blue hair stretches to his lower back and a drink hangs precariously between his fingers. He's had a few already. "Lieutenant Axel." He introduces himself. "Your brother told us a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope."

"Terrible things, actually." His lips spread into a toothy grin. "But it's alright. That's exactly what we need." I refuse to let it show on my face, but that expression, drenched in this erotic atmosphere, is freaking me out a little bit. I swallow uncomfortably; why is my mouth so dry?

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering me, he gestures at Matteo. "Come."

"Sh-Shouldn't we wait for the commander?" My roommate's voice trembles through his lips. Axel's congenial expression twists into something vicious on a dime.

"Don't make me ask you again," he hisses, "Because I won't be asking anymore." Matteo shakes, but he looks resigned as he lets his coat fall from his shoulders. My jaw hits the floor at about the same time. Holy crap.

Matteo wears sheer black babydoll lingerie edged in lace, which does absolutely nothing to hide light brown nipples or the black thong he wears underneath. Torn black stockings reveal patches of burnished legs. As he catwalks obediently towards the lieutenant, the clicking of high heels on the floor has me hypnotized. Axel takes his hand and lifts it into the air, making him twirl slowly as if to give me a more thorough look, and believe me, I am taking advantage of that.

The lingerie is just a sexy filter over his almond skin. Imagination is so overrated. And now I know he's a prostitute because only a prostitute would have kinky nipple piercings like that... Tracing down his slender form, I find more of them: a stud above his belly button, a ring below it... There's an incessant, hot throbbing at my crotch and I probably would have jumped him already if we weren't surrounded by people. His athletic body angles to show me a small pair of black wings he wears on his back.

"This is our raven model." Model, Axel explains as if he's talking about a car model or something. I half expect him to slap Matteo on the back or something. He lets Matteo fall back against his arm like a dance partner and grips his shoulder tightly. "And your first slave."

My eyes widen at that. Slave? That's a... Well, that's quite a word he's got there. It draws a despairing moan from my roommate's throat. I try to look him in the eyes but he preemptively squeezes them shut.

"Don't worry," Axel says, smiling at my confusion, "We'll show you how to use him."

Author's Note: First time posting on Lit! I would appreciate your feedback.