Shane
I still sit beside Wiphas unmoving body. I feel something prickling my senses. I stand up and turn around. The wall of the deck greets me, confused, I turn back around. Instead of the med-center, I stand before the air-lock. Throughout the window, I only can see a vast and all-compassing blackness. No stars, just nothingness. I feel again the prickling in my neck, tiny shivers, my hair stands up. I feel like something is watching me, drilling holes in me with its stare. I turn, desperation swells in my chest. The deck is empty, the temperature suddenly drops. My gasping breaths fogs before me. I feel a sense of foreboding, the urge to turn and flee grabs me hard. My breathing becomes frantic, I feel stalked and hunted. I turn back to the air-lock. Instead, blackness greets me. In full panic, I turn and run as hands shoot out of the black mass. I run not looking back anymore, my lungs start to burn. My chest constricts, my heart beats frantically inside my tight chest.
I can hear myself whimper, I have no longer the breath to scream. The deck seems endless. My right foot catches something on the floor. I fall over it, it's the bloody mangled corpse of Wiphas. My eyes are wide with shock, my chest freezes up. Behind Wiphas body, the black hands mock me. I can hear dark laugher.
"Shane, running is futile, you will be mine. Soon we will meet. I will destroy everything in my way."
Suddenly more corpses are lying on the floor. Curtis, his fathers, and the rest of Wiphas's crew. Gut-wrenching pain manifests inside me upon seeing them. With my last breath, I start to wail.
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I wake up with a start, still feeling indescribable fear. Cold sweat runs down my back, my heart tries to gallop out of my chest. I try to calm my frantic breathing. It was all a dream, only a nightmare, everybody is safe. I turn around myself, looking, and searching. I'm still inside the med-center, a blanket covers me. Wiphas is softly snoring before me. There is a damp spot where my head lay. I can't shake the feelings I experience entirely, I still feel like somebody is watching me. But there are only three doctors in the room. Speaking softly with each other. Something isn't right, I grab my head. Gasping the recent events comes back. My father knows where I am. He fabricated evidence against me. The video, besides him a huge bulky Xertian alpha. With long blond hair and dark grey, nearly black skin. Eyes like fire staring into me, into my soul trying to swallow me up and burn me to ashes. My body shivers remembering him from the video. This was the Xertian my father wanted…
Oh god, I start to sob. My stomach turns when I think what he would do to me. What Wiphas told me about him. I feel sick to my bones. Massive shivers wrack my body, I'm ice cold. My teeth start chattering. The need to run grows stronger. But where to? Where should I run? I can't even fly a ship. I'm just an art student, how should I afford to be on the run? Where could I hide? The universe might be vast, but it's a dangerous place too. Especially now that I'm an omega. I'm highly thought after commodity. I could never trust helpful strangers. Sleeping with an eye open, always looking over my shoulder. Checking and double-checking everything I eat and drink. Could I ask Curtis and his fathers for help? Bringing them willingly into unknown danger? How could I?
Once again, hopelessness encompasses me. Suddenly I'm drawn into strong warm arms. Somebody whispers into my hair. Heat creeps into me, the one who holds me is like a furnace. Confused, I open my eyes. I know this chest. Turning my head up fast, I nearly hit Wiphas in the nose. Wait, Wiphas?
"I must be dreaming again," I softly murmur,
"But this time, it's a sweet dream."
I laugh and cuddle close, completely comfortable, and safe in his arms.
"I'm afraid Shane, but this is no dream."
Mortified, I try to wrench out of his arms. But his hold just gets stronger.
"Shhh, everything will be alright. I will protect you. From anything, they throw against you."
"I… I can't… you and the other… you did already so much. I can't ask for your help, you already lost so much because of me."
"And I will gladly fight for you to my dying breath," Wiphas fiercely vows to me.
Fear grips me.
"No! You can't! Not because of me! Please, I'm begging you don't… don't risk your life because of me. I'm nobody, I'm just Shane, an art student. You can't risk your rebellion. Your fight against the King, because of me. Please promise me," I start to babble.
Wiphas looks at me grimly.
"Neither my crew nor I will standby and watch you delivered to the Xertian King. He is a monster! I would not ever be able to forgive myself, sending you into his cruel arms."
I sit still in his arms, stunned to silence. Tears well in my eyes.
"But why? Why would you risk everything you worked for?"
He pulls me up, and his lips cover mine kissing me. I feel scorched where his rough lips touch mine. My thoughts get lost when I feel his tongue pressing between my lips. He completely dominates the kiss, one of his hands grabbing my hair tight. His tongue duel with mine, I lose fast, and his tongue maps out my mouth. Tangling again with my tongue, like a dance of old. Suddenly there is a cough. He pulls back, looking at the person interrupting us. Mortification burns throughout me, I try to hide my face into his chest. Taking lungfuls of his heady male aroma. I can't hold back my moan.