Sirius' POV
A slight vibration shattered my light sleep.
"I'm sorry," Marien said. She rested her forearms on the mattress, "I didn't want to wake you up."
Oh. I had fallen asleep. It was probably because I took a cold shower. After her attack of kisses and caresses, Marien had left me strangely... hot. I had to get rid of that 'tension' from down there...
"Don't worry," I said.
"Let's go eat?"
"Rosy said they would wait for us in the cafeteria," I remembered.
"Yes, but..." She caressed my lower lip, and the sweet tingling returned. It felt so good. "They probably are not there by now, so let's buy something, and then we can go around the city."
"Sounds good."
***
"So... Tell me..." my lady spoke as we walked down the passage. "That friend you mentioned earlier, is he one of Orion's men?"
"Altair..." I was a little upset to remember him, although now he was far from my girl. "I'm still angry at him for hurting you, even though he was only doing what Orion told him to do. He was like my brother."
"I'm sorry."
I put my arm around her thin shoulders and smiled with closed lips to calm her down. She didn't have to worry about those things.
"It's okay."
Being close to the cafeteria, I could hear her friends talking, so they weren't gone as Marien thought. It made me happy because I knew she wanted to see them.
"Hey!" she said when we entered. "I thought you guys were gone."
"We have the afternoons off," Rosy said, bored. "There's not much to do."
"We'll buy something to eat and walk around the city, okay?"
They seemed confused.
"Ern... Marien didn't like going for walks. Who are you?" Marcus said, smiling, and my sweet lady laughed. "Wait! Let's go to the training field next door!"
"Oh. Okay. It sounds interesting."
On the way out, a policeman stopped Marien's doctor friend, John, and we slipped through another door. Although it worried me that they might go in looking for Dad and his companions, Marcus assured me that they couldn't do it by law, so I trusted him.
The training field was nearby. It was a two-story building with a large open field where I could see some obstacle courses, target shooting areas, and a climbing wall, among other things. Apart from that, I saw a vast forest in the back, with no end nor visible fences. There was a small sign quoting National Forest.
Marcus said we would be in the fort for a few minutes now that the place was empty, but I couldn't stop seeing the forest.
Its greenery called me. It reminded me of my town, seeing the forest always there, with abundant trees between the streets and houses. I had the feeling that if I went in and ran long enough, I would find my town right there...
My Marien brought me out of my thoughts with her gentle touch. I looked back at her, and she handed me my sunglasses. I remembered that my eyes could still be a problem.
"Can I tell you something?" asked Marcus. "He looks scarier that way."
"Don't be jealous. He looks great," Rosy claimed.
I took one last look at the forest.
"It's the State Park," Marcus commented, noticing it. "Hectares of half-virgin forest, which serves as a lung for this horrendous city." Half-virgin? He seemed to read my question in my face. "Because it is still inside a city. I mean, it's not as wild as outside."
We enter the office. A guard greeted us and said that some guy called Max had not arrived yet, but Marcus warned that he would only show us the facilities. We presented our IDs and entered.
There were a few men training. Marcus showed us some machines, and especially one that could measure strength.
"When this place is empty, I want to see how much strength our little evolved man has." He looked at me.
"Well, my levels of evolved strength are not the most admirable," I admitted.
"It doesn't matter. I always wanted to see an EH up close without him trying to kill me."
"Then I might try that too," I scoffed.
"Ha, ha! Sure..." he pretended to laugh while keeping a serious expression, and it even seemed to me that his heartbeat increased a little. Maybe I scared him. "Let's go see the field before Max arrives."
"Who is Max?" Marien asked.
"A guy who joined National Security a few years ago. They promoted him quickly because of his enthusiasm. You won't like him. He is stubborn and prideful. He is extremely fascinated with evolved people but hates them equally sometimes."
"Um," she growled cutely, although I knew she had been upset. "You're right. I don't like him already."
"I could try to kill him while you watch," I suggested and made her laugh, which I liked.
We went out into the field, and I could see more things: trenches, old tires, humanoid dolls lying around, some destroyed on the ground, and a wooden box with short-range explosives and firearms.
The ladies made fun of all those 'guy' things, and I detected someone approaching. I turned to see. It was a young human man in the National Security uniform: a navy blue shirt and black military pants, the kind with large pockets on the sides. He looked at us, raising an eyebrow, and Marcus got stressed. I could smell that.
"Hey, Max, you're early!" he said.
Oh, that was why.
"What have you brought me today?" His sight wandered around all of us. "More lab mice like you?" He approached, arrogant. Marcus denied that they were mice, but he ignored him. "What do you think of my training camp? Isn't it great? Here, I can destroy mannequins pretending that they are evolved men."
This time, I was the one who got stressed. Marien noticed and caressed my arm, which had an immediate effect.
"Well... We'll let you train," Marcus suggested.
"Wait," the man interrupted. "I heard that some evolved men had broken into the hospital. That's great! Did you capture them? Will you study them?"
"That never happened," Rosy assured.
"Don't lie to me. I know it from reliable sources."
"No one will experiment on them," Marien refuted.
"Hey," he smiled, looking her up and down in a second, and a strong feeling of annoyance hit me, "You must be Marien. Marcus has talked so much about you." He approached her, causing my annoyance to increase. "Pretty and pacifist, huh?"
What had Marcus said? How dare they talk about her?
Marien clung to my arm, and I smelled her slight anger towards him, but she also knew that I was like a lion about to jump suddenly, so she didn't let go.
"Marien doesn't like the dispute between the two species," Marcus intervened.
"Oh yeah?" Max replied mockingly. "Come on! That's utopia. The EHs are despicable. Why do you like them?"
"We must go now." Marcus tried to push Marien away, but she wouldn't let him.
"Because I know them," she spoke. "They are a great society."
Max laughed heartily.
"Please!" he tried to calm his laughter. "No one can enter their lands without dying, or without being eaten, or being eaten and dying!" He laughed a little more. But what nonsense was he saying? "The EH are savages. Everyone knows that. How can you appreciate them? They killed your parents."
Marien's temperature dropped just barely, enough to let me know it affected her. I grabbed her shoulders, but she gently pushed me away.
"Yes. I know," she said with some sadness. "Their nature is wild, but that's how they are. Many cannot control their instinct, but that is no excuse. We humans aren't behaving any better, and I'm sure there was something else behind that attack."
"Wow. You say you know them. Good. Bring one to me, and we'll see how well they control themselves. If they're as civilized."
Did he want to see one? Perfect.
"Don't fight, huh?" Marcus warned, clearly feigning his concern.
"Ha! I wouldn't fight with a fragile girl like her, no matter how stubborn she is," Max replied, smiling.
"But you would fight me," I challenged, tired of him teasing my sweet Marien.
"Kid," he told me, "I'm trained to kill evolved men. Do you think you could beat me?"
"I know an evolved man who would gladly face you," I stated.
Marien retook my arm, and I felt her a little colder. She was scared.
"Anthony, come on, he's not worth it," she whispered. "You won't get an EH now," she emphasized. "So we better go."
Marcus helped her push me back. I thought about it, and I knew she was right. I could get her in trouble, so I gave in and turned around. I didn't want her to be afraid, nor for her to be distressed.
"If you bring it to me, I'll pay you, seriously," Max warned, making me stop. "I won't give you away if you manage to get one of those in the hospital out."
Pay. Money. While caring for Dad, I went to that machine with food and noticed it was asking for money to give me something. I needed money if I was going to have a life here.
"Will you pay me?" I turned to look at him. "That would be great. I need money."
"No," my sweet girl whispered, now more worried. "No, Anthony, please. You don't need money..."
"Of course I do," I murmured. "I want to take care of you."
"No. There are other ways. Please."
It was just what I was looking for. With that, I could care for my partner as I was taught, like a real, responsible, and capable adult man.
I walked forward, took off my sunglasses, and the guy's smile disappeared.
"Oh, shit," he whispered. "What?! How did you get in here?! How come you haven't killed us all already?"
I smiled just enough for him to see my fangs.
"I'll only attack you so you can see I have self-control."
"Sirius, let's go, please," Marien asked, taking my hand.
"Hello, brother," another human appeared. I had not noticed him because of the similarity in his scent and because I had been very distracted. "What's up?" He looked at me and was scared. "Holy mother of...!" He ran and took a metal shield from a large box, making me roll my eyes. "What is this?! Max, what's going on here?!"
"Calm down!" Max replied. "He is tamed. He will not attack us."
I growled wildly and unintentionally scared everyone. Marien clung to my arm.
Well, I had to admit that I didn't hold myself. I had probably been heard for several feet around like a mad dog.
"My Anthony," my lady whispered, "Let's go, okay?"
I was emitting a low, serious growl of threat, but I felt her face caress my arm, and I began to calm down. I also began to understand that it was in vain. After all, they didn't even see me as human.
The newcomer dropped the shield.
"Oh wow. That's awesome! Will you help me train?" the young man asked hopefully.
"What?!" Max shouted.
"Come on! He can teach us! It would be very different from training with mannequins, don't you think?"
"Forget it," I replied roughly and prepared to leave.
"Hey, wait. I'll pay you if you help me train!"
"And teach you to kill my kind?" I looked at him with contempt.
"Well... T-then teach us how to fight."
I continued walking, but Max stopped me with something else.
"Join us. The government pays us. You could train here. You don't have anything to lose. I will no longer say anything about your peers and show you the secret facilities. What do you think?... They'll pay you," he emphasized.
True. I could try.
"I'll think about it," I replied.
Marien snorted, and now I knew she was angry with me. She didn't want me to do this. She didn't understand that I wanted to take on responsibilities.
As we got out, she squeezed my hand.
"You know you don't have to do this," she said quietly. "The government also pays me. We'll try to stop the fighting, but I don't want you to get that involved. I'll get an apartment, and we'll go there."
"Marien," I sighed, "You have taken great care of me. They always instilled in me that I should care for my family when I had one, and now I want to do it. Ever since I saw you, I wanted to take care of you."
"And you will, but it doesn't mean I won't take care of you, too. I won't stop protecting you. I couldn't stand it if they separated you from me."
"I want to feel useful. I want to be ready in case Orion finds me one day. I don't want him to dare touch you."
"Do you think I would be happy if he got to get you too?" Her heart was racing. I could almost hear it.
Marcus approached, making her take a deep breath and move away from me.
"Ignore Max, Anthony. Although I would like to train with them instead of being in the hospital." He remained silent, apparently because of Marien's inquisitive look. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry. I was just saying."
"Yes, well," she said, taking another deep breath, "I'm sorry too."
I looked at her, and she seemed sad. It worried me. What could I do? I wanted to hug her and talk to her, but Rosy came closer and took her away. They started talking while Marcus walked next to me. I sighed and continued. It was better if we spoke when we were alone.
Hearing Marien's laugh at something her friend said relieved me a little. I looked at her, smiling with closed lips, without being able to help it.
"So you really growl," Marcus commented. "Anyway. I hope you take care of Marien. She doesn't want problems, so you should think about it," he tried to advise. "If you join them, they will pay you. I know Max, and he is loyal. But what if something happens and others discover you?"
"I know. I'm going to be careful. I want to be useful..."
"Take care of Marien," he insisted, and I frowned strangely. "You haven't hurt her in any way, have you?"
Geez. Yes, I had, by taking her to Orion. What did it mean? Should I have let her go? Was I bad for her?
"I take care of her with my life," I responded, and I think I had never talked so seriously in my entire existence, "And I will continue to do so."
"So... Do you control your strength well?"
It confused me.
"Of course, I control my strength. It's my body. I can control it when I'm with her."
I could control how gently I touched her and how hard I would hit anyone who tried to touch her.
Marcus cleared his throat, crossing his arms.
"Okay. I don't want to bring those thoughts to my mind." What thoughts was he referring to? "Hey, girls," he turned to see them. "Shall we have something to eat?"
"Sure!" they replied.
I smiled sweetly at my beautiful lady, seeing her calmer. Rosy got her attention again, and I watched as she gave her something. Marien blushed completely at the small metallic-like package and laughed. What was it?
We entered a restaurant and stayed on the patio, so the darkness helped me not have to hide my eyes. The food they ordered had quite a few spices but was very tasty. They said it was from ancient Italy—a place that no longer existed because the sea covered it.
***
When we returned to the hospital, we saw Dad. He was sleeping, but Marien assured me he would get better soon, which relieved me and his companions, who were still waiting.
We walked into our room. Marien left her purse on the desk and took out the package Rosy had given her. I could see that they were pills. She looked at it with doubt and a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Are you sick?" I asked, worried.
She winced and smiled, shaking her head.
"No. Don't worry. These are for something else. One of these days, you'll know," she said in a tempting and playful tone.
I sighed and smiled.
"I wonder when that special day will arrive," I mused.
She laughed and hugged me. I leaned in, nuzzling her nose with mine, seeking her sweet lips, and she gave them to me immediately, relieving me. We kissed once more, enjoying each other again. She gently pulled my bottom lip with her teeth, and I smiled and did the same, taking care that my small lower fangs didn't hurt her.
"We must sleep," she murmured.
Not yet. I had to know that everything was okay. I brushed my cheek against hers as a caress. My parents sometimes did that, although they purred. This situation was different.
"Don't be upset with me," I whispered.
"I'm not."
"You don't want to let me take care of you..."
She placed her arms on my shoulders, and her hands played in my hair.
"I'm just worried. You can do something else instead of getting into a fight and all that..."
"And what else could I do? I'm an EH. What else could I do in this city?"
She saddened slightly and kissed my cheek, filling me with her sweetness.
"Well," she sighed, "For now, if you like, join them, but we'll see what happens later, okay?" I smiled and nodded. "I'll take a shower to sleep."
"Sure." I freed her from my arms.
She walked away, turned to look me up and down with her slight smile and something else in her pretty eyes, and continued on her way.
I fell onto the bed after a long sigh.
***
I saw her looking at the bed after getting ready to sleep. She already had her pajamas on. Some humans had the same custom of dressing inside the bathroom, just like people in my town, so that no one would see us half naked.
Then her eyes landed on me, and she seemed to be thinking about something. Maybe it was because I was only in my pajama pants, without a shirt, since I knew she liked seeing me, and it was comfortable for me to sleep like that.
Her eyes lit up, and her cheeks turned that beautiful pink again. She sighed, lay down, and looked at me expectantly.
I turned off the light and went to bed, too.
I was looking at the ceiling. I could see clearly, thanks to my good night vision. I turned to look at her for a second, and she was looking at the ceiling, too. I knew she was exhausted, and so was I. I had hardly slept.
Despite everything, being able to sleep with her made me happy. Humans who were a couple slept together, although I wanted more than just sleeping next to her.
Should I tell her what I wanted?
...But of course, I should. She was my eternal companion. I wanted everything with her.
"Would you sleep in my arms?" I asked, turning to look at her.
She smiled widely and came to me in a hurry. She placed a kiss on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her delicate body and pulled her against me, chuckling. I looked into her eyes, and she was happy. Yes, this was what I wanted, and so did she.
I hugged her again and purred from pure pleasure, which caused her to laugh sweetly.
"I knew you purred!"
"Believe me, I haven't done it since I was very, very little."
Although I didn't rule out doing it recently while dreaming about her...
She kissed me, demanding my full attention, making me enjoy her sweetness, perfect lips, aroma, and taste. She kissed me deliciously, increasing my heartbeat, but after a few minutes, her rhythm slowed. She sighed softly and gave me a few short kisses while half asleep. She kept her slight smile and gave me one more last kiss.
I stroked her soft, silky hair. She was already asleep. I sighed, kissed her forehead, and hugged her so she would sleep cuddling with me while I gave her my warmth. I was going to provide her with my warmth every night from now on...