Soul Mate Service - Chapter 31: Chapter 31
You are reading Soul Mate Service, Chapter 31: Chapter 31. Read more chapters of Soul Mate Service.
I saw nothing, and felt even less as the world morphed along the outskirts of my vision. The only shred of clarity I had to hold onto was him, the barely-there weight cradled protectively in my shaking arms, his terrified breaths grazing my pounding jugular with each labored step that I took.
My skull was filled with lead, weighing down the rest of my exhausted form as I trudged on. And as my eyes, unfocused, watery, and vacant, remained fixed ahead, my soul craved only one thing.
Safety.
Was it even possible to find that anywhere within these stark, white walls? Or – even more likely – had it ever even truly existed in the first place?
Either way, all that I knew was that within our Housing Pod, where Aria and I's scents intermingled and filled the place with a bone-deep kind of peace, was likely the closest I was ever gonna get.
So, even though I was barely able to comprehend one second to the next, I held him tightly against my chest, unwilling to let go, my instincts alone carrying us both through the labyrinth of interconnected corridors that made up this fucked up prison of a Society.
After we'd fulfilled our side of the agreement and consummated our Mateship for all to see, I'd hoped that that would be it, that The Elders would thank us for our 'service' and get their heads out of our asses from here on out.
But of course, even as I lay panting above Aria, still intertwined in a tangled mess of sweaty flesh and unable to disconnect myself from the depths of his body, it immediately became clear that my wish was far from any reality we would soon face.
As I replayed the memory over and over in my faraway mind, somewhere in the background I felt yet another drop of moisture gather along the firm line of my clenched jaw.
Far too soon, the one-sided door creaked open, and in an instant I was lowering my body down, shielding Aria's vulnerable form from any and everyone's view. I bared my teeth with a grunt, letting whoever dared disturb my Mate and I's moment of sacred connection that I was not afraid to protect him with everything that I had in me.
I probably looked fucking insane right then, half-clothed with wild eyes and muscles primed for battle despite the fact that my cock was still – my some odd twist of nature – buried balls deep within my Soul Mate.
But right now, protecting Aria was infinitely more important than any logic, so when a small figure finally began to emerge from the darkness, flanked by a ridiculous number of dumb ass Enforcers, my hackles rose, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck raising to insurmountable heights.
"You dare not make that sound at me, number 6081," A familiar voice sounded, although, in my heightened state of vicious arousal, I hardly had enough sanity left to fully recognize it. It was only then that I realized that I'd been emitting a low, violent growl that had boiled over, frothing and festering somewhere deep within in my chest.
Although I still had no fucking clue who this tiny, elderly woman with claw-like nails was, and even though I wanted to launch myself across the damn room and tear her into shreds of old-woman jerky, there was still a tiny part of my half-working brain that told me that she was not someone to be messed with.
Reluctantly, my growls quieted.
"Hm. So you do still have some semblance of sense rattling around in there. Perhaps there is hope for you yet," her tone was sarcastic, one that I would typically appreciate seeing as to how I was the reigning king of sarcasm myself. But this time, hearing it spewing like bile out of her wrinkly ass lips only made me want to tear 'em right off of her smug fucking face.
Before she continued, her eyes flickered to the beautiful mess of sweaty limbs that was Aria and I. Then, her brow quirked upward as she spied the droplets of bright red blood smeared on the mattress from my claiming bite, in addition to the streaks that I was sure also still lingered across my teeth and canines.
"Number 6081 and number 8320, you have successfully fulfilled your part of the agreement. Therefore, Number 6081, The Elders have chosen to... overlook your defiance toward our esteemed Society and overturn your third strike," she scathed, the sound of her voice cutting into me like a cheese grater against skin. "However, as we observed your copulation, The Elders have become particularly intrigued by your propensity to..." She paused, her eyes once again drifting downward, as if seeking a glimpse of my Mate. Showing her even more of my teeth and narrowing my eyes, I shifted my position, ensuring that Aira's entire body was obscured from her – and anyone else's – repulsive gaze. "... to bite."
"Fuck that. We did what you asked," Rage became me, my voice was not mine, and I swear hints of red began to seep in along the outskirts of my vision. "Now leave us the hell alone."
The too-wide smile she did next finally caused my recognition of who she was to dig its way out of the only part of my mind that wasn't completely feral, and my scowl only deepened when I realized that this was – once again – that ridiculously annoying Laancaster bitch.
Somebody really needed to crush her lil' crusty ass into old woman dust like... yesterday.
"You two truly do make such a beautiful match." Elder Laancaster drawled, clearly ignoring my demand as her focus lowered down to the tablet she held firmly in the crook of her arm, tapping away at the glass screen without a care in the whole wide world. "Now, once you..." she glanced back up at us for a split second, "Untangle, you both will promptly return to your Housing Pod. The time for reporting to your Work Units has already come and gone, so The Elders have granted you both an excused absence for the rest of the day." She began to explain, to which my brow furrowed. Had we really been down here for that long?
"You will speak nothing of what you have encountered and what we have discussed within these chambers. Furthermore, you both have been scheduled to report to the Medical Unit every other week for mandatory bloodwork and thorough physical examinations. Failure to do so will result in a strike upon both of your records accordingly." She glanced up from her tablet once again, her pupils a neverending abyss of swirling blackness. "Any questions?"
In all honesty, at that time I'd had a million of those things tumbling around in my skull, echoing loudly as they banged against it. Like, how invasive would those examinations be? Would anyone touch my Bug in ways I didn't approve of? How soon could I have him tucked back in bed, safe and sound? And most importantly, how was it even possible that my heart felt like it was going to beat its way right out of my chest every time I so much as looked at him?
But at the time, I could do nothing but wait for whatever was tying Aria and I together to calm down enough for me to pull myself from his body, bundle him up, and get the fuck out of that terrible place before I did some impulsive thing that I would definitely regret later down the line.
That memory replayed vividly, repeating over and over like a nightmarish record that you could never hope to wake up from or stop listening to. And through our bond which had significantly strengthened since the moment I'd finally claimed him with both my bite and my seed, I could tell that the memory was one that we both were unable to be released from.
It should have been strange, sharing a mind with someone. But as our thoughts ebbed and flowed, intermingling and complementing one another like a piece of a puzzle that we didn't even know had been missing, becoming one with him felt just as natural as breathing.
Without even realizing it, my grip on Aria's delicate form tightened by a significant degree, as if my instincts were attempting to meld him into not only my mind and soul, but also my physical body. At first, I wondered if I was smothering him with my worry and need, but when his arms tightened around my neck, a barely audible whimper escaping his scratchy throat, I instantly knew that I wasn't alone in my longing.
Just a few weeks ago, it would have been impossible to convince me that this perfect little man that I held in my arms was the one and only key to showing me the truth about what truly mattered in this life. But now that my unseeing eyes had been pried wide open, my brain purging all of those parts of me that had been so, incredibly immature and self-absorbed, I knew that there was no way back.
And truthfully, I didn't want a way back.
I would have remained lost in him – yielding to the combination of our loud emotions that swirled fast like a hurricane and made me feel terrifyingly complete – if it hadn't been for the fact that during my zone-out session, I nearly ran head-first into a firm pair of bodies.
"What the fuck!" I exclaimed, eyes going wide as I stumbled back a few paces, intent on steadying myself so that I wouldn't run the risk of dropping Aria. Only once I'd gathered my bearings and made sure that he was safe did I look up, shooting a sharp glower at whoever was stupid enough to stand in my way.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Even though Aria might have been able to work his disgustingly adorable charms good enough to make me soft for him, everybody else was still fair fuckin' game.
I mean, I may be blasted into la-la land and rendered an unthinking, drooling mess whenever I was lucky enough to be blessed with an eyeful of Aria's ass, but my lingering pent-up teenage rage still needed some kind of outlet.
"Can't you see I'm walkin' here?! Why the fuck are you in my wa–" My scolding was cut short, because when my irises finally constricted, turning a blurry sight clear, my gaze landed on none other than... Aria's parents?
Now ordinarily, I would have utilized my large stature and overall intimidating nature to scare people into never stepping within five feet of my vicinity ever again. But as my eyes raked over the two figures for a second time, it only confirmed what I'd hoped was just my brain playing tricks on me.
I sighed.
Yeah, that was definitely them alright, with their bland, grey outfits and giant nerd glasses that took up like three-fourths of their face. And right now, they were standing directly beside the door to Aria and I's Housing Pod.
There was no way that this was a coincidence. But damn, could their timing have been any fucking worse?
"Bea. Milo." I clipped, still blinking a bit quicker than probably looked natural. I shifted Aria to the side of my body, the protective side of my instinctive mind not trusting anyone right now. My Soul Mate was vulnerable, and even the thought of his own parents seeing him like this made me want to blast a hole through their foreheads with the heel of my foot. "What... are you doing here?"
Aria's parent's brows rose, eyes shifting, as if taking note of my protective movements. Then, they shared what looked like some kind of weird, nerdy, all-knowing glance before turning back to look at Aria and I.
"Is Aria alright?" Aria's mom started first, taking a step in my direction, presumably to check on her half-conscious son whom I held against my chest. Luckily, she got the message that she wasn't particularly welcome right now when I flinched backward, baring my teeth in warning in that same, undomesticated barbarian type of way that I'd apparently adapted to.
"Thaddeus, we..." Aria's father, Bea, followed his wife up quickly after glancing over his shoulder like somebody was gonna pop right out of the walls or something. He held his hands out in front of him, palms out and open as if trying to show a wild animal – or me, I guess – that he meant no harm. "We need to talk with you. And Aria." Even I couldn't miss the sense of urgency that laced his quiet tone, or the beads of sweat lining his hairline. "Now."
I took a step back at that, eyes narrowing, and seemingly sensing my hesitation, Milo's urgency immediately turned desperate. With another wary glance behind him and a voice so quiet that I had to lean in a little closer in order to even hear it properly, he said something that send my heart plummeting right into my fucking ass.
"We know what The Elders have done."
My skull was filled with lead, weighing down the rest of my exhausted form as I trudged on. And as my eyes, unfocused, watery, and vacant, remained fixed ahead, my soul craved only one thing.
Safety.
Was it even possible to find that anywhere within these stark, white walls? Or – even more likely – had it ever even truly existed in the first place?
Either way, all that I knew was that within our Housing Pod, where Aria and I's scents intermingled and filled the place with a bone-deep kind of peace, was likely the closest I was ever gonna get.
So, even though I was barely able to comprehend one second to the next, I held him tightly against my chest, unwilling to let go, my instincts alone carrying us both through the labyrinth of interconnected corridors that made up this fucked up prison of a Society.
After we'd fulfilled our side of the agreement and consummated our Mateship for all to see, I'd hoped that that would be it, that The Elders would thank us for our 'service' and get their heads out of our asses from here on out.
But of course, even as I lay panting above Aria, still intertwined in a tangled mess of sweaty flesh and unable to disconnect myself from the depths of his body, it immediately became clear that my wish was far from any reality we would soon face.
As I replayed the memory over and over in my faraway mind, somewhere in the background I felt yet another drop of moisture gather along the firm line of my clenched jaw.
Far too soon, the one-sided door creaked open, and in an instant I was lowering my body down, shielding Aria's vulnerable form from any and everyone's view. I bared my teeth with a grunt, letting whoever dared disturb my Mate and I's moment of sacred connection that I was not afraid to protect him with everything that I had in me.
I probably looked fucking insane right then, half-clothed with wild eyes and muscles primed for battle despite the fact that my cock was still – my some odd twist of nature – buried balls deep within my Soul Mate.
But right now, protecting Aria was infinitely more important than any logic, so when a small figure finally began to emerge from the darkness, flanked by a ridiculous number of dumb ass Enforcers, my hackles rose, the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck raising to insurmountable heights.
"You dare not make that sound at me, number 6081," A familiar voice sounded, although, in my heightened state of vicious arousal, I hardly had enough sanity left to fully recognize it. It was only then that I realized that I'd been emitting a low, violent growl that had boiled over, frothing and festering somewhere deep within in my chest.
Although I still had no fucking clue who this tiny, elderly woman with claw-like nails was, and even though I wanted to launch myself across the damn room and tear her into shreds of old-woman jerky, there was still a tiny part of my half-working brain that told me that she was not someone to be messed with.
Reluctantly, my growls quieted.
"Hm. So you do still have some semblance of sense rattling around in there. Perhaps there is hope for you yet," her tone was sarcastic, one that I would typically appreciate seeing as to how I was the reigning king of sarcasm myself. But this time, hearing it spewing like bile out of her wrinkly ass lips only made me want to tear 'em right off of her smug fucking face.
Before she continued, her eyes flickered to the beautiful mess of sweaty limbs that was Aria and I. Then, her brow quirked upward as she spied the droplets of bright red blood smeared on the mattress from my claiming bite, in addition to the streaks that I was sure also still lingered across my teeth and canines.
"Number 6081 and number 8320, you have successfully fulfilled your part of the agreement. Therefore, Number 6081, The Elders have chosen to... overlook your defiance toward our esteemed Society and overturn your third strike," she scathed, the sound of her voice cutting into me like a cheese grater against skin. "However, as we observed your copulation, The Elders have become particularly intrigued by your propensity to..." She paused, her eyes once again drifting downward, as if seeking a glimpse of my Mate. Showing her even more of my teeth and narrowing my eyes, I shifted my position, ensuring that Aira's entire body was obscured from her – and anyone else's – repulsive gaze. "... to bite."
"Fuck that. We did what you asked," Rage became me, my voice was not mine, and I swear hints of red began to seep in along the outskirts of my vision. "Now leave us the hell alone."
The too-wide smile she did next finally caused my recognition of who she was to dig its way out of the only part of my mind that wasn't completely feral, and my scowl only deepened when I realized that this was – once again – that ridiculously annoying Laancaster bitch.
Somebody really needed to crush her lil' crusty ass into old woman dust like... yesterday.
"You two truly do make such a beautiful match." Elder Laancaster drawled, clearly ignoring my demand as her focus lowered down to the tablet she held firmly in the crook of her arm, tapping away at the glass screen without a care in the whole wide world. "Now, once you..." she glanced back up at us for a split second, "Untangle, you both will promptly return to your Housing Pod. The time for reporting to your Work Units has already come and gone, so The Elders have granted you both an excused absence for the rest of the day." She began to explain, to which my brow furrowed. Had we really been down here for that long?
"You will speak nothing of what you have encountered and what we have discussed within these chambers. Furthermore, you both have been scheduled to report to the Medical Unit every other week for mandatory bloodwork and thorough physical examinations. Failure to do so will result in a strike upon both of your records accordingly." She glanced up from her tablet once again, her pupils a neverending abyss of swirling blackness. "Any questions?"
In all honesty, at that time I'd had a million of those things tumbling around in my skull, echoing loudly as they banged against it. Like, how invasive would those examinations be? Would anyone touch my Bug in ways I didn't approve of? How soon could I have him tucked back in bed, safe and sound? And most importantly, how was it even possible that my heart felt like it was going to beat its way right out of my chest every time I so much as looked at him?
But at the time, I could do nothing but wait for whatever was tying Aria and I together to calm down enough for me to pull myself from his body, bundle him up, and get the fuck out of that terrible place before I did some impulsive thing that I would definitely regret later down the line.
That memory replayed vividly, repeating over and over like a nightmarish record that you could never hope to wake up from or stop listening to. And through our bond which had significantly strengthened since the moment I'd finally claimed him with both my bite and my seed, I could tell that the memory was one that we both were unable to be released from.
It should have been strange, sharing a mind with someone. But as our thoughts ebbed and flowed, intermingling and complementing one another like a piece of a puzzle that we didn't even know had been missing, becoming one with him felt just as natural as breathing.
Without even realizing it, my grip on Aria's delicate form tightened by a significant degree, as if my instincts were attempting to meld him into not only my mind and soul, but also my physical body. At first, I wondered if I was smothering him with my worry and need, but when his arms tightened around my neck, a barely audible whimper escaping his scratchy throat, I instantly knew that I wasn't alone in my longing.
Just a few weeks ago, it would have been impossible to convince me that this perfect little man that I held in my arms was the one and only key to showing me the truth about what truly mattered in this life. But now that my unseeing eyes had been pried wide open, my brain purging all of those parts of me that had been so, incredibly immature and self-absorbed, I knew that there was no way back.
And truthfully, I didn't want a way back.
I would have remained lost in him – yielding to the combination of our loud emotions that swirled fast like a hurricane and made me feel terrifyingly complete – if it hadn't been for the fact that during my zone-out session, I nearly ran head-first into a firm pair of bodies.
"What the fuck!" I exclaimed, eyes going wide as I stumbled back a few paces, intent on steadying myself so that I wouldn't run the risk of dropping Aria. Only once I'd gathered my bearings and made sure that he was safe did I look up, shooting a sharp glower at whoever was stupid enough to stand in my way.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. Even though Aria might have been able to work his disgustingly adorable charms good enough to make me soft for him, everybody else was still fair fuckin' game.
I mean, I may be blasted into la-la land and rendered an unthinking, drooling mess whenever I was lucky enough to be blessed with an eyeful of Aria's ass, but my lingering pent-up teenage rage still needed some kind of outlet.
"Can't you see I'm walkin' here?! Why the fuck are you in my wa–" My scolding was cut short, because when my irises finally constricted, turning a blurry sight clear, my gaze landed on none other than... Aria's parents?
Now ordinarily, I would have utilized my large stature and overall intimidating nature to scare people into never stepping within five feet of my vicinity ever again. But as my eyes raked over the two figures for a second time, it only confirmed what I'd hoped was just my brain playing tricks on me.
I sighed.
Yeah, that was definitely them alright, with their bland, grey outfits and giant nerd glasses that took up like three-fourths of their face. And right now, they were standing directly beside the door to Aria and I's Housing Pod.
There was no way that this was a coincidence. But damn, could their timing have been any fucking worse?
"Bea. Milo." I clipped, still blinking a bit quicker than probably looked natural. I shifted Aria to the side of my body, the protective side of my instinctive mind not trusting anyone right now. My Soul Mate was vulnerable, and even the thought of his own parents seeing him like this made me want to blast a hole through their foreheads with the heel of my foot. "What... are you doing here?"
Aria's parent's brows rose, eyes shifting, as if taking note of my protective movements. Then, they shared what looked like some kind of weird, nerdy, all-knowing glance before turning back to look at Aria and I.
"Is Aria alright?" Aria's mom started first, taking a step in my direction, presumably to check on her half-conscious son whom I held against my chest. Luckily, she got the message that she wasn't particularly welcome right now when I flinched backward, baring my teeth in warning in that same, undomesticated barbarian type of way that I'd apparently adapted to.
"Thaddeus, we..." Aria's father, Bea, followed his wife up quickly after glancing over his shoulder like somebody was gonna pop right out of the walls or something. He held his hands out in front of him, palms out and open as if trying to show a wild animal – or me, I guess – that he meant no harm. "We need to talk with you. And Aria." Even I couldn't miss the sense of urgency that laced his quiet tone, or the beads of sweat lining his hairline. "Now."
I took a step back at that, eyes narrowing, and seemingly sensing my hesitation, Milo's urgency immediately turned desperate. With another wary glance behind him and a voice so quiet that I had to lean in a little closer in order to even hear it properly, he said something that send my heart plummeting right into my fucking ass.
"We know what The Elders have done."
End of Soul Mate Service Chapter 31. Continue reading Chapter 32 or return to Soul Mate Service book page.