JOAN

I'm scared and heartbroken as I'm led away from the crowd. The masters are careful to not push or drag me, knowing War is still watching. Although he allowed my incarceration, we all know he doesn't want to see me in pain.

The jail is at the very edge of camp— lonely and abandoned because no one in their right mind would act up around The General. Everyone at camp is terrified of him. I'm the only idiot capable of disobedience.

The jail has three cells that have never seen a prisoner. Enormous bars made of wood fence each cell. Each bar is half a foot wide— strong and thick enough to keep Masters locked in.

I'm led inside a cell and the door is closed behind me. I observe my surroundings. Hay fills the floor, padding what I suppose is my bed. There are two buckets in the corner. One has water and the other is empty.

I shudder and look back at the entrance. I'm alone now, sunned by a pending insanity. How long will I stay in here for?

A master returns an hour later with a tray of food. He unlocks the door and takes his time to set the tray down. It's like he's not worried about my escape because he knows I'm not strong enough to get past him.

He's right.

Ignoring the food, I say, "And The General?"

He doesn't reply. The door is locked, and I'm alone again.

I sit on the hay and mess around with the food. I eat a few bites as I recall my fight with The Entertainer. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. All the progress I made seems to have gone down the drain. All the time I spent working on myself was for nothing.

I spend so much time wallowing in self-hatred that I don't notice the sun dips. I'm picking hay out of my tangled hair when I hear footsteps.

"Why haven't you eaten?" War asks.

I rush to my feet as he unlocks the door.

"You're here. I didn't think you would—"

"You think I'd let you sleep here?" he runs a hand down his face, and sighs. "I wouldn't let you rot away alone in this hole. I had to step my ground in front of camp because I've been soft on you too many times. I led half of camp to the city and made them betray their Queen to be loyal to me. I can't have them thinking you're above the law."

Relief slams into me. He's not leaving me. He still cares.

I touch his hand, and he makes a choked sound before slamming into me. His arms pick me up, crushing me to his chest.

With my feet dangling in the air, I wrap my arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry about everything. About the confusion, about running away to the city. I don't know why you've been ignoring me for the past weeks, but I'm sorry for that, too."

"I was giving you space. I told you I loved you, and your response was trying to suck my cocks as if you're an Entertainer and I'm another brainless Master."

He tries to set me back on my feet, but I'm so ashamed that I furrow my face into his neck.

"Look at me."

I peek up, and he sighs.

"Are you annoyed with me?"

"No. I sigh because you are so endearing." His lips fall to my hair, my forehead, and then my chin. I almost cry in protest.

It's time. I've run away from him too many times.

There's peace in War, but I seem to only bring out the latter.

It's true. I always seem to bring war from him. He has mutilated and killed for me. He has gone against his composed nature.

I swallow, hard.

"I told myself I left for the city because I was a distraction to you; that I was the cause of all the disorder in camp. All of that was a lie. I left for selfish reasons. All along, I had been convinced I wasn't good enough for you, and I was afraid you would eventually realize that. By keeping you away, I eliminate all chances of rejection. I knew that being unwanted by you would have crushed me."

There. My plague of insecurities has come to light. I'm finally facing the truth that has tried to hide in my subconscious.

"Why would you think you are not good enough for me, female? You have survived among a race that isn't yours after you were taken from your planet."

Of course he sees the good in me. This is War.

"I'm nothing special," I disagree.

I'm not even trying to fish for compliments here. I'm trying to keep the truth afloat.

"All I do is run. I don't charge at my enemies like you do."

"Is that why you've been training every morning? Why you taught yourself to read and write Zolano? Why you are so determined to learn the psychology of masters? Why you kicked an Entertainer's ass? Is it because you are nothing special?"

He knew I had been training every morning?

"Don't look so shocked. I'm a General. Little gets past me, including what I feel for you. I have given you time, Joan. It is time for you to decide if you want this."

I'm awed.

"After everything... you still want me?"

"On my bed, on my cocks, everywhere," he grips my hips tighter. "Tell me, female from the stars. Are you done making my thoughts spin out of orbit?"

My lip trembles. I truly don't deserve him.

"Of course I'll have you," I whisper. "Of course."

This was meant to happen. I am Earth, and he is my star that I can't stop revolving around.

I push myself onto my tippy toes, but it's still not enough to connect our lips. I look at him pleadingly, and he doesn't disappoint. He kisses me roughly. There is no romance between us, only a need to account for lost time. I shrink from the pressure of his ferocious kiss. Down, down, down, until I find myself flat on my back. I'm atop hay with my alien boyfriend straddling me.

War's takes my breasts. He kneads them until getting tired of lack of access and ripping my dress off.

His lips find my left breast and suck on the nipple before returning to my mouth. He alternates between them, unable to get enough. It's incredibly erotic to see my breast jiggle and his lips pucker around my fatty, soft flesh. Entertainers don't have breasts like I do. I'm feeding War something he has never had before.

"You are out of this world, my Joan."

I've known I'm literally out of this world for many years, but it wasn't until I met Wat that I've felt metamorphically out of it, too.

"Um... Um, War— uh, General..."

He releases my left nipple with a loud pop, watching it jiggle with an enchanted gaze.

"It is War."

"Are you sure? You said—"

"I am sure. My wife will call me nothing less."

Record screech.

"What?"

"Why is this surprising? Did you think you would become my mistress?"

Of course I didn't. I just didn't think that far ahead.

"Are we done with questions? Can I rut you with my two aching cocks yet?"

My thighs twitch. Of course he can. He can screw me into the ground for all I care. I've wanted him for too fucking long.

"Can you not finish inside of me, please? I'm not ready."

He knows exactly what I'm speaking about. I'm not ready for motherhood.

"Stand up, bend down, and grip the bars, Joan. I still need to punish you for attacking that Entertainer with a punishment of my own."