Welcome to Syrus Ch. 03

***Hello dear readers,

Welcome back to Syrus. This chapter is longer and it takes a while until the sex starts, so thank you for your patience! If you haven't read chapter 1 and 2 here is the story in a nutshell: June, a woman from Earth, is kidnapped by four men and a woman and has a week to decide whether she wants to stay with them as their wife. I hope you enjoy!***

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By the time I gather my wits and dress, my stomach is rumbling. I slip through the door and tip-toe down the hall, before I realise just how ridiculous that it. I can neither escape nor become invisible so I might as well just own this. I raise my head and walk into the living room. It's empty and I realise that I have no idea where the kitchen or the dining room is. I stand there in confusion for a few moments, turn this way and that. I contemplate to go back and try the doors in the hallway when I catch voices and the smell of cooking. I set tentatively towards the end of the room and circle behind the fireplace. A small alcove opens to the right and at the end of it, there is a door, slightly ajar. As I move closer the voices grow louder and the smell becomes so overwhelming that my mouth is literary watering. When I push the door and enter, silence falls.

"June," it's Aden who finally speaks, "here, sit next to me." He is pulling a chair at the further end of the table and I have to walk past all of them to get there before I can sit down. The table is already set with dishes of what looks like stew. A large plate with flatbreads layered one on top of the other sits in the middle to share as well as several small bowls, some with red and others with green sauce. Aden places a glass next to my plate filled with an amber liquid.

"Watered down mulberry juice," he explains, "our drink of choice. Unless you prefer something else?"

My preference is water but Syrus water has an iodine taste which is hard to get used to. Most people mix it with something sweet and mulberry juice seems as good a choice as any. I nod my thanks to Aden and sip the drink. It's light and refreshing. It may just become my drink of choice too.

"Enjoy," Aden says as he takes his seat next to me.

The stew has a strong smoky flavour which compliments the bland taste of the bread perfectly. Contrary to my expectation the green sauce turns out to be the hot one while the red one is fruity and slightly sweet.

"This is delicious," I say between bites. I doubt that the verbal praise is necessary, the way I'm swallowing my food is proof enough. They all laugh at that.

"I'm glad you enjoy it, June," Aden says. "Did you enjoy your shower too?"

I blush at this and look in Ham's direction. He smiles and winks at me. Did he have to tell everyone about it? How dare he!
It seems like for once I am not alone with my shock because both Erel and Keve glare at Ham.

"I see," Aden says and sighs. He doesn't look at the younger man but his voice is stern and full of concern when he continues. "You can say no anytime, June, and at anything and anyone of us. I hope Ham didn't cross a line?"

I'm surprised at this seriousness and shake my head.

"He didn't, it was ok."

"Good," Aden nods.

Ham's playfulness has evaporated and he keeps his eyes on his food. We finish the meal in silence.

It is Keve who escorts me to my room this time. He points to each door we pass and reveals its occupant. Erel's and Ham's rooms are closest to the living room, followed by Sana's and then Aden's. Keve's door is opposite mine.

"If you need anything, just shout," Keve says as we reach our destination. He leans down and kisses me on the cheek. Then he is gone.

I collapse into bed the second the door closes. I turn on my belly, toss all the pillows to the floor but one which I half hug, half crash underneath me. I brace myself for a long night of thinking, certain that my mind won't let me rest, that my brain will want to process the craziness of the day, to anticipate the week to come. But before I could formulate a single thought, I'm sound asleep.

I wake up sweaty and disoriented with the sun burning through my eyelids. I had forgotten to close the blinds and there is no barrier to stop the light from invading my space and turning it into a sauna. I stumble to the control panel on the wall and fumble with the circles for a while until the room sinks into comfortable darkness. While my eyes adjust I contemplate my options. I could go back to bed, forget about where I am and why for a little longer. Or I could scout through the house and try to find a phone. As the outlines of my room slowly become visible again I wonder why I haven't thought about this before. Why did I just accept these men's claim that they could keep me here for a week? Why didn't I ask for the validation of someone outside of the group, someone I trusted, like the mayor? He wouldn't lie to me, would he?

I feel my way to the suitcase which I haven't unpacked and grab the first piece of clothing I find, a short, loose dress I don't remember I own. I slip it over my head and feel my way back to the door. The hallway is quiet and empty. It must be daytime given the fact that the sun woke me up but I know nothing about the routine of life here. Miners probably get up early, right? But maybe they are taking a break from their day job while I'm here. Maybe they will be sleeping in today.

In the living room, the sun is seeping through the blinds on the ceiling in single rays of light and it makes the place seem eery and unreal. It is a large lounge more than a living room, really, with low sofas lining both walls opposite the fireplace, small tables here and there and a large rug which looks just as soft and inviting as the cushions on the sofas. I notice a small panel on the wall and walk closer to inspect it. It has the same circles which control the blinds but in one corner there is something which looks like a bell. I press on it and a new menu opens with a list of numbers and names. I cheer silently and scroll down the list. The mayor's name is there, of course, it is, this is a small community after all. I press but nothing happens. I press again and hear a voice behind me.

"It doesn't work."

I spin around towards the voice and see Keve standing at the side of the fireplace. He must have been in the kitchen. He raises his hands and smiles as he notices my surprise.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. The cable was severed during the last quake two weeks ago. We haven't gotten around to fixing it yet."

"How convenient," I say and Keve laughs. It's a low, throaty sound which underlines the good-naturedness of his expression.

"I guess it is," he says. "You still don't trust us, hm?"

I shrug and sink into one of the cushions.

"It's not that, I just," I try to explain, "I feel like a colossal idiot, you know. Like I should have read my contract properly or asked more questions, or I don't know, not come to a planet I knew nothing about."

He nods and sits down next to me, close but not too close. I curl my leg under me and turn slightly so I can face him.

"I think you should give yourself a break," he says and his eyes are warm and friendly as he looks at me. "Nobody reads those NDAs, that's why they put the small print there. And questions wouldn't have helped you because those who knew wouldn't have told you."

"Great, I feel so much better!"

And there it is again, that good-natured laugh which makes me feel all fuzzy and warm like I'm wrapped in cotton. I can't help a smile.

"Think of it as a cultural trip," he continues. "Learning the life of a miner on Syrus. It's only a week, June. Or do you find our company so repulsive that you can't stand being around us?"

"It's not about that. You did kidnap me, Keve."

He nods and I see something flash in his eyes which seems almost like...anger?

"Yes, and I'm sorry. That wasn't my choice of negotiation."

Keve stands and hold out his hand:

"Come, let's get you some breakfast."

I'm happy about the change of topic and the return of his good humour. I place my hand into his palm and follow him. I guess I'm not going anywhere today or any day this week. Keve might be right, I should try and make the best of this "cultural trip". I catch myself staring at his muscled arms while he takes food out of the fridge and I suddenly feel the urge to stoke them, to find out if he feels as hard as he looks. Unlike Ham, whose stares scream sex every time he lays his eyes on me, Keve has been the perfect gentleman. Somehow, it makes me want to be the naughty one. Do I dare? I don't remember if I ever came onto someone, I've always been the smile-and-wait type of girl. I don't even sure what to do. But I do want to touch Keve and maybe just this once I should go for it. "Cultural trip", right?

I step over to the counter where Keve has lined a few items from the fridge. He turns to face me, maybe expecting some question but I'm not interested in the food. I move into his space, so close that our hip bones are almost touching and I run a finger tentatively down his arm. He stills and looks at me in silence. I grow bolder, place both my hands on his biceps and I let them travel down in a gentle caress. His skin is warm and smooth, his muscles twitch slightly as I stoke them. When I reach his hands he suddenly grabs my wrists and pulls me closer.

"What do you want, June," he asks and maybe I imagine it but his voice has dropped an octave or two. He tilts his head to study me as he waits for my answer.

"I," I stutter. What do I want, really? Up-close, I catch the smell of his aftershave, smoky and fresh and male, and it makes my insides all warm and fluttery. I lick my lips trying to figure out my next step and feel Keve's grip on my wrists tightens. "I want to feel you, I..."

Before I can finish he is kissing me and I need to revise my previous assessment of him as the perfect gentleman. There is nothing chaste about this kiss. Keve's lips are hot and demanding, this tongue exploring my mouth with a hunger that catches me off guard. His hands release my wrists to grab my waist to pull me even closer. My nipples have contracted into painful peaks and I let out a low moan when they brush against the firm wall of his chest. My knees buckle and if Keve wasn't holding me I'm sure I would have collapsed to the floor. He must have felt it because the next thing I know he is picking me up as if I weigh nothing and placing me on the counter. When I feel the cold surface on my backside I realise two things at the same time: first, my short dress has ridden up my thighs and two, I am not wearing any underwear! I lean back, breaking the contact and try to pull the wrinkled fabric down to cover myself, but the damage is already done.

"Well, fuck me!" Keve exhales and stares at my exposed mound.

My cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. I mean, it's one thing to be making out in the kitchen with your sexy host. But baring everything to him takes things to a whole new level.

It's Keve's turn to lick his lips. His hands release my waist to stroke my thighs and he gives me a wicked smile. He dips his head to place small kisses on the side of my neck and up to my ear.

"You look edible," he whispers and his voice is thick with arousal. As if to prove it he starts nibbling on my neck, up to my jaw and back down again to my collarbone. There he lingers to worry my heated skin with his tongue. His hands had started a journey of their own. They wander down the outsides of my thighs and when they reach my knees they move over to the insides. With his palms, Keve's nudges my knees apart. I open my mouth to protest but all that comes out are low moans which encourage him to grow bolder. His mouth leaves my collar bone and inches its way up my neck to claim my lips in a searing kiss again. His hot breath, the warmth of his hand on the sensitive skin of my inner thighs, the rough fabric of his trousers against my knees, it all mingles into one giant sensation and transforms me into a trembling mess. When he releases my lips to look at me I am flushed and panting.

He leans his forehead against mine.

"You challenge my control, June," he says and breathes out. I'm glad that I seem to affect him just as much as he affects me. I lock my hands around his waist and pull him against me. As intimate as it feels to have him like this, I want to continue, I want to feel his lips on mine again, his hands on my body and ... Oh dear, so much more! I want him inside me, taking me, making me scream his name. Instead, he takes a step back.

"Stay with me tonight, June," he says and looks into my eyes. I can see heat there but also something else. Concern?

It takes me a few seconds to understand his words. Somewhere between speaking and looking at me he has pulled down my dress, has covered me and I can't help but feel ashamed and a little abandoned.

"With, with you?" I stutter like an idiot.

"Yes, in my room," he pauses and I have to strain my ears to hear the next thing he says, "in my bed."

Oh God, I do want to! If he can get me so hot and bothered on the kitchen counter I can only imagine what it would feel like to spend the night in this gentle giant's arms. But that would mean spending the rest of the nights with the rest of coop, wouldn't it? Am I ready for that? Why do I even consider it? I said no sex and I meant it, dammit!

I start to shake my head but Keve grabs my chin to stop me. He places a gentle kiss on my lips.

"I don't want a quick go in the kitchen with you," he says, "I want to take my time."

He strokes down my cheek, slowly, as if to illustrate how he wants to take his time and wow, I don't think I have been any wetter in my life! When his hand stops I actually whimper and he chuckles.

"Think about it," he says.

I sigh, whether in relief or disappointment I don't know. Keve picks me up and helps me down to the floor. I notice the glistening proof of my arousal on the smooth surface of the counter and my cheeks heat up but Keve only gives me one of his grins and directs me to take a seat at table.

As he busies himself with the food again I work on slowing down my breathing. First Ham, now Keve. What kind of woman makes out with two guys within a few hours. What's worse, in both cases I wanted more, I would have gone further if they hadn't stopped. What has gotten into me? Is it something in the mulberry juice? Or have the long nights on Syrus turned me into some kind of wanton slut?

This thinking is not getting me anywhere and I'm relieved when Keve sits down next to me with the food. We munch on some leftover flatbread and a thick milky paste which the locals call kutak. On Earth, we might call it cream cheese but it's entirely plant-based, lumpier and salty, with an intense smoked flavour. It's an acquired taste which I am still working on acquiring, so I mostly eat the bread and flush it down with some more mulberry juice. I am surprised when Keve stands up again and after a moment places a steaming mug in front of me smelling suspiciously like coffee.

"Go on, it's the real thing," he urges me with a big grin.

"How?"

Syrus' climate produces a type of tea which is similar to green tea, coffee is not common around here.

"Aden' special order," Keve says. "He says he wouldn't survive without it and makes sure to stack a lot of it when we travel to Hyde for the Ascyx pick-up."

"How often do to travel there?"

"The official pick-up is once a year but we sometimes go to Hyde for other business."

"Like kidnapping a woman?"

"Yes," he says, unperturbed by my sarcasm.

"So there were women you took before me?"

He remains silent. If I want answers I would have to pull them out of him and I'm not sure if I want to know at this point. I've had enough in intensity for one morning so I decide to just enjoy the coffee.

"Where are the others today?" I ask between sips. Mm, this tastes like heaven! I almost makes up for the abrupt end of our make-out session.

"Working," he explains.

"And you? Did you draw the short straw and had to stay to babysit me?"

"Actually, I drew the long straw," he says and lifts an eyebrow, "although you did surprise me back then."

I blush. How often can a person blush within less than an hour? At some point, my cheeks would probably stay permanently pink. I swallow the last bit of my coffee and already wish I could have another.

"So, if making out was not part of your plan for the day," I say with more bravado than I feel, "what was?"

Half an hour later I've changed into loose trousers, a long-sleeved shirt and a headscarf following Keve's instructions. Like with the dress this morning I don't remember owning any of these clothes, they just seem to appear in my closet. The sun is scorching hot and the air trembles as we step out and mount two dust-covered float bikes. Keve hands me a helmet and glasses to protect my eyes.

It doesn't take long after we leave the house for me to realise how much I don't know about Syrus. Just like living in New York doesn't give a person an accurate idea about life on Earth in general, Hyde has left me with an impression of the planet which was completely distorted. Yes, I did know that outside of the town there were only mining coops scattered across a desert. But as we take a turn around the house my jaw literary drops. Starting a few steps from the house border and going as far as I can see, a landscape of yellowish desert unfolds. Dark veins criss-cross the ground like water streams and branch out in a network of shimmering purple.

"Is this Ascyx?" I ask through the headphones in my helmet.

Keve nods.

"They run across the entire planet," he explains.

"Why have I never seen any in Hyde? Are they under the paved streets and the houses?"

Keve's warm chuckle rings in my ear as I say that.

"No, you can't build on top of an Ascyx vein," he says. "I'll show you."

He hovers over a smaller section of the substance and pulls a red brick-shaped something from the saddle bag of his bike. It feels so random that I have to ask.

"Do you always carry a brick in your bag?"

"No, just when I'm acting the tour guide." Although the helmet covers most of his face I can hear in his voice that he's smiling.

He leans over from the bike and places the brick on the purple vein then gestures from me to drive on. A safe distance away we turn around.

"Look," he says and tilts his head toward the place we hovered over seconds ago.

The purple substance has risen up around the brick weighing on it and seems to pulsate. Actually, the whole network around it looks swollen and angry like an infected wound, and I could swear that it has gone a shade darker, bordering almost on black. I barely have time to blink before there is a loud bang and the brick disappears in a smoke cloud.

"Wow," I shout at my first real-life demonstration of just how unstable Ascyx is. We linger around as the smoke pile grows smaller and dies out. As we drive away I am thankful for the monotony of the scenery and the silence. The house is no longer in sight when I finally manage to shake off the shock of Keve's little demonstration.

"So," I ask when I feel able to speak again, "there are no veins under Hyde."

"Hyde was the first Ascyx mine, back when the planet was discovered," he explains. "To harvest Ascyx you need to find the root of a larger vein and sever it. Then the whole vein dies and is no longer explosive. They started building houses on top of the land they have freed and slowly a town grew. This is still how mines are built: you start by removing a large vein and then another and you build on the land you free."

"How come no other towns were founded out of old mines?"

"In the beginning, it was only military ships which used Ascyx for their engines. It was one the best-kept secrets in the universe, apparently, until eventually the intel leaked and corporations started to experiment with it and commercialised its usage. That's when the masses come back to Syrus and tried to colonise it, for real this time. Hyde had been mostly abandoned by then. When they tried to extend its borders the Ascyx veins around rouse immediately and blew them off."