Chapter 2

Riki’s headache had not dissipated, even after his ‘nap’ with Iason. It wasn’t overly painful, just a dull nagging throb at the back of his head that was making him irritable. Iason had gone into his home office to do some work and Riki found himself watching the screen and trying to find something of interest to capture his attention.

Finally, he tossed the remote aside and picked up the book he had been reading earlier, but the pounding in his head prevented him from concentrating on the story, and he gave up after just a few minutes.

“Do you need anything, sir?”

Riki didn’t even look at their new Furniture. “No.”

“Are you unwell?”

Riki ignored him.

“Lord Mink will be bothered if you are unwell. Please state the nature of your trouble and I will assist you.”

“Fuck. Off.”

Riki missed Cal and really didn’t like this kid, at all. Their new Furniture seemed intent on carrying out Iason’s orders to the letter. He apparently had memorized the Pet Ordinance Codes and often quoted them, which irritated Riki even more. There was no bending of the rules, as he had managed with Cal, and there was no sympathy to his plight like what he had gotten from Darryl.

A shudder ran through him, he’d always had mixed feelings about Darryl. He had appreciated the fact that the young man had forfeited his life by opening the doors of Eos and setting him free, at least until Riki had been caught again, but he had never managed to purge himself of that conditioned response that Iason had created. Iason had often threatened him with calling Darryl into the room to perform oral sex on him and as much as Riki hated it, he hated more that it brought back memories of what he’d had to do to survive in the slums.

It wasn’t that he was ashamed of how he’d lived, there had been no choice, but his pride didn’t like the fact that his body, which he had thought was fine-tuned to his own choices, could so easily succumb to just anyone’s mouth around his dick. He hadn’t been that way before. Before Iason had trained him, tormented him; used him as a plaything so his body became horrifically responsive to touch.

Iason didn’t understand why Riki felt shame at his responses, or even how a Mongrel could feel shame given what they had to do to survive. But he did. It was because Riki could feel shame that he could also feel pride, but the cost of that pride ... He shook his head. He’d done what he’d had to do to survive and he would never allow anyone else to think less of him because it, but ... he still felt shame and it was the main cause of his anger; most of the time.

“Judging by the dilatation of your pupils you are suffering from a headache. I will bring you medication for it.”

“Do you not understand the concept of fu...” Riki began but Bean had already disappeared. “Little prick.”

He rose and stepped up into the main floor, then out onto the balcony.

He wanted a smoke but that little shit had hidden his cigarettes and so he had to ask whenever he wanted one. Bean kept the limit strictly to four a day. He’d considered telling Iason, but he wasn’t a rat. He’d find a way to deal with Bean on his own, just as he always dealt with things on his own. He didn’t need Iason to take care of things for him.

He took a deep breath, stared out at the internal city of Eos and wondered, not for the first time, what his life would be if he hadn’t followed Iason that day. He’d probably still be living in Ceres, or working for Katze maybe, running shipments and the like. To be honest, neither option held much appeal for him anymore.

Iason had been working hard to undo all the damage that Orphe had done in Eos, and it had not been easy. There were nights that the Blondie had not come home, and other nights when he did and seemed so exhausted that Riki didn’t have the heart to give him even a moment of trouble. Funny, as much as a year ago he would not have thought it possible for an elite to feel tired or worn down, but he supposed the organic brains Jupiter had installed could still tally as mental exhaustion, if not a physical one. And so, on those days, he led Iason to bed and let him do whatever he wanted, which sometimes was just to sleep with Riki in his arms.

Iason was still trying to overturn the rule about Furniture being destroyed after a certain age, and so Cal had remained with Katze. Riki found that he missed Cal much more than he thought he would, but Iason informed him that he had given Cal permission to work with Katze and last they heard Cal was doing well in his new role.

Life in Eos also wasn’t as bad as it had once been. Apparently, the story of their resurrection had taken on a life of its own. The idea of a pet walking through flames to save the life his master was cause enough to make Riki a bit of a legend. There was far more to the story of course, and no one truly knew what had occurred, beyond the fact that Riki had risked his life for his master and that they had both survived the tragedy.

No one else knew that it was because of Riki that Iason had even been put at risk, because he had not properly broken things off with Guy. Nor did anyone know of Iason’s previous physical impairment, of Jupiter’s involvement, or that Orphe had been driven to madness and had tried to kill them. Thanks to Raoul and his people, everyone believed that the radical Blondie Orphe who had kidnapped Riki, and tried to kill Iason, had simply died in a tragic but unforeseeable shuttle accident.

Life here still wasn’t great, but it was a little easier. Instead of the hate, prejudice and jealousy, Riki had always faced, he now actually had a few people who admired him, some even tried to be his friend. He wasn’t that naive. People, especially pets, could change their minds in a heartbeat. He wasn’t about to put himself in a position where he or Iason could be exposed, and he still didn’t really care for the other pets, who were so submissive to their masters.

The Blondie had kept his word and no longer treated him as a pet when they were at home, and Riki really did appreciate the subtle change. It was a slow evolution, Iason was still an Elite and some things would never change in the way he perceived things, but things were better and Riki felt more comfortable with his situation than he had previously.

The cock ring had never been replaced, instead Riki wore the ring on his finger that Iason had given him when he finally woke up after the battle with Orphe, and Iason wore the matching ring on his own hand, but it was always hidden by his gloves when he was outside the apartment. Riki didn’t really mind and he wasn’t stupid, he knew his ring contained a tracker and had chosen not to get upset over that fact because he understood that it was not for Iason to keep tabs on him, but for his own protection. The situation with Orphe had shown him how vulnerable he was as Iason’s pet, and Orphe still had friends here in Eos. As strong as Riki had been in Ceres, he was no match for the power of a vengeful Elite.

Suddenly, he wanted something more than a smoke, he wanted another kind of distraction, and as wanting that, now brought a feeling of nervousness and shame, he rubbed at his stomach and the butterflies that gathered there. However, after several minutes of trying to ignore the feeling, he gathered his courage and stepped down from the balcony.

“I have brought your medication, sir.”

Riki briefly wondered, if Furniture was thrown off a building in Eos, and no one was around to hear it, did it make a sound?

Bean held out the two blue pills and a glass of water, expectantly.

Riki ignored him and moved past, the boy followed.

“You must take the medication, sir. Lord Mink will be angry if your ailments are not properly dealt with.

“I told you, I’m fine.”

“Yes, but you are lying, and so I encourage you to take the medication.”

Riki spun around to face him. He wasn’t a tall man, but he was bigger than this kid and a whole lot stronger. “Make me.”

“I would prefer not to do that, sir. Please take your medication.”

Riki crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to ignore the increased throbbing in his skull which had returned with the new confrontation. “No.” Come on, he thought, try something you little punk. He was itching for a fight and he didn’t even understand why.

“If you insist.” Bean transferred the pills to his pocket and pulled out a wand. “Pets must be disciplined whenever their actions cause harm to themselves or others. Your refusal to take your medication requires that I make sure you take it by any means necessary.”

“You use that on me and it will be the last thing you ever do.”

“It is my duty, sir. Will you take your medication?”

“Fuck. You.”

“Very well.” Bean raised the wand and Riki buried his instinct to run; stood his ground.

“Bean!”

Both turned towards Iason as he crossed the living room.

“Apologies for the disturbance, my Lord. The pet refuses to take medication that will cure his headache. He leaves me no choice but to follow the code of procedure as it is stated in section three...”

“Stop.” Iason lifted a hand and Bean fell silent as Iason reached them and held out his hand. “Give me the medication.” The Furniture complied and Iason turned and offered the pills to Riki. “Take them.”

Appalled and hurt that Iason would side with Bean he held Iason’s gaze and growled out a refusal. Would Iason really allow the kid to use a wand on him? What the hell happened to not treating him like a pet?

“You are obviously irritable and I can see the pain in your eyes that marks a headache. You won’t allow Kanin to examine you, so you must take the medication.”

Having Bean’s words repeated by Iason infuriated Riki as the throbbing in the back of his head became a full-fledged migraine. “When did either of you get your fucking medical licence! I said I’m fine so I’m fucking fine!”

“Riki.”

Riki recognized that specific warning tone, although he hadn’t heard it in quite a while, and his training had him reaching for the pills before he’d even realized it. He curled his hand into a fist, as he realized what he was doing and rage filled him.

Iason’s eyebrow rose at Riki’s sudden defiance and the death glare the mongrel shot at him. “Is there a problem?”

“You’re the fucking problem!”

“Don’t speak to me that way, Riki. I have told you this before...”

“Yeah, yeah! You told me! You bark and I respond, whether I want to or not! Will you can take that shit and shove it up Bean’s ass!”

Filled with hurt and fury, Riki turned on his heal and strode across the room. He didn’t even get to the front door before Iason had gripped his arm.

“Where are you going?”

“Out!” Riki rounded on him and tried to shrug him off. “Or are you gonna order me to stay here, maybe chain me to the bed again and torture me?”

Iason’s gaze narrowed. Why was Riki speaking of such things? Had they not moved beyond all of that? “I want you to stay here, Riki. If something has upset you then tell me what it is...”

“You upset me! This place upsets me! The fucking sons of fucking Jupiter upset me, alright?”

“Riki...”

“Let go!”

“No. We must talk about this. Was your session with Jupiter too difficult? I know that it can be invasive and uncomfortable but...”