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"How come you did not touch me this morning?"

His voice is casual, but I'm not fooled. The answer matters a lot to him. Did I hurt his feelings when I ignored his requests? Can I afford to hurt his feelings? "I'm not at your command, Corvak. I don't have to do something just because you want it."

"But…I touched you last night. You enjoyed it, I think?" His expression turns vaguely smug. "I tasted your enjoyment."

Rude. I stiffen, trying not to get my back up. "I did enjoy myself, and I appreciate the pleasure, but it doesn't mean that I owe you something."

"I did not mean to offend, Aidy. I am trying to understand." He glances over at me. "Me asking you this morning…it was not correct?"

My wariness turns to chagrin. He's an alien. I can't expect him to know how to handle sexual situations with a human. Even if he'd had sex before—which he has not, it seems—he wouldn't understand our cultural mores. "I'm not trying to be a jerk, Corvak. It's just a complicated situation. I feel we shouldbe focusing on surviving, not on personal relationships. I don't want us to get distracted."

Corvak eyes me, his expression insulted. "You think I would be so distracted by my cock that I would endanger us?"

"You tell me. You were the one that couldn't walk yesterday morning."

He scowls and stomps a few paces ahead of me, then climbs a near-sheer bit of rock up ahead, moving higher into the mountains with skill. I move to the rock after him, wondering where I need to put my hands when everything looks smooth. Corvak lowers his hand to me, a challenge on his face.

"I'm not trying to insult you." I put my hand in his. "I just want to live."

"Bah. Do not worry about survival. I will take care of you." He hauls me up effortlessly, and I fly upward, landing at his side. I wobble and his arm goes around my waist, pulling me in close. Corvak shoots me another cocky grin. "I am far more interested in tasting your thigh mound again than worrying about survival."

Mywhat? I'd giggle, but the intense, hungry look in his eyes makes the laughter die in my throat. "My pussy. It's called my pussy."

"Your pussy, then. If I ask nicely, can I taste you again?"

He's holding me so close that it's distracting me. "As long as you don't expect that I shouldhaveto reciprocate. It should be my choice to touch you. Just like it's your choice to touch me."

Corvak's hand twitches on my back, and he leans in close. I pull back, confused, but he only rubs his nose against mine. "I understand, Aidy. You are my female, and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'm still learning how to please you."

He could start by not referring to me ashis, but this is close enough to an apology, and I'll take it. "You did just fine. Better than fine. And you know, I'm happy to instruct."

He rubs his nose against mine again and then gives me a wicked, knowing grin. "You smell good today, too."

"Annnd that's enough of that," I say, sliding out of his grip, blushing. "Can we just travel, please?"

Chuckling, he releases me and points at the sloping rocks. "We're going higher. I think it levels out just above. We will see how things look then."

Lovely. I lean forward to balance myself, watching as he moves up the rocky slope. "So how is it you don't have memories anyway? What's the story with that?"

"I told you, I'm a splice. We are created beings." His stump tail twitches, making his clothing jump.

"Everyone's a created being. Created like how?"

"Someone picks out the traits they want their gladiator to have, and I am produced in a lab and sent to my new owner."

Produced in a lab…? "So, what? You were never a baby? Or a child? You just popped out of a test tube fully grown?" I take the hand he extends down to me and haul myself up after him. "How does that work?"

"Just like that, I suppose. It was not the same with you?" He doesn't seem concerned. He makes sure my footing is solid and then continues climbing.

Of course it wasn't the same with me. "Absolutely not. I have memories. I was a kid. I…"

I pause.

"Go on," he says, encouraging.

But I can't go on. Because the more I look for proof of how right I am, the more blank my mind feels. I search for memories, assurances that what I'm saying are legit. My name, I decide. That's an easy one. Aidy's short for A.D. Which is short for…

Short for…