Chapter 4

Luce opened her eyes, her moan cut abruptly short, as she woke from her dream. She looked around at the empty room and just barely suppressed a groan, as she realized where she was and what she'd been dreaming about.

She got to her feet, resolving not to think about the sensual images still flitting through her mind, and began her morning warm-up exercises before breakfast arrived.

She started with some mild stretching to get her blood flowing away from a certain part of her anatomy, and then moved into some more serious stretching, combined with an isometric workout. The program was designed to put her into a meditative state, but nothing she'd done in the past few days had been enough to keep her from thinking about Wren for more than a few minutes.

She just couldn't get the woman out of her head, and for the past two nights, the blonde had been plaguing her dreams as well. Luce had managed to keep herself occupied for the most part, but she knew she couldn't last much longer. In the state she was in right now, Wren would hardly have to touch her to bring her to her knees.

A vision of herself kneeling in front of Wren, as she imagined tasting the blonde for the first time, sent a jolt of desire through her already sensitive body, and she stumbled. Her training automatically guided her into a controlled fall, but the loss of concentration was enough to keep her from continuing with the practice. She lay where she'd fallen and stared unseeingly up at the white ceiling.

I think I'm insane. It's the only explanation. She's driven me insane. I've been stuck in this room for a month, and then she comes along and pushes me over the edge. And why the hell did I ask her to wait last time? What the fuck would I have done if she had?

Luce imagined the blonde stopping, and then slowly turning around, as she waited for Luce to say something. Several thoughts immediately came to mind. Like what Clan did Wren come from? Did she have a family that she went home to every night? What had it been like to grow up? Did she get to see her parents often enough?

Luce thought of her own family, something she'd tried very hard not to do since her capture. She missed her parents horribly, as well as her brothers and sisters, not to mention her nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, and all her cousins. She was the youngest of ten, though only half of her elder siblings had still been alive by the time she'd left her growth tank. They'd been killed in the war, but with so many cousins and nieces and nephews, she'd never felt the lack.

Unfortunately, she'd only been able to spend a few months with her family, before leaving to receive practical training as a soldier to augment the information she'd been given during her growth cycle. Luckily, she'd managed to stay in contact with most of her relatives during her time away, but she knew they were probably going through hell now, not knowing where she was or if she was even still alive.

She could easily imagine her homecoming. They'd throw a party for her, just like they had when one of her brothers had come home after being listed as Missing in Action. She wasn't alone, though. Wren was right next to her, and she saw herself introducing the petite blonde to her parents. Then the scene changed to be replaced with a vision of her bedroom in her parents' home in the heart of her Clan's territory. She lowered her body on top of Wren's, and then moved in for a kiss.

The feel of Wren's body beneath hers made her moan, and the touch of her lips was exquisite. The scene quickly jumped ahead, and they were both naked, writhing on Luce's bed, as she pumped her fingers into Wren's drenched opening. She could hear Wren's pleas for release with every whimper and moan, and unlike her captor, felt no need to deny her. She plunged her fingers inside, reaching deeper and deeper...

"Please stand in the corner with the blue light."

Luce's eyes shot open, and she shivered, as she heard Wren's live voice come from overhead. She looked over and realized she'd been so caught up in her little fantasy that she'd completely missed the sound of the inner door opening. As she came back to herself, a wave of depression washed over her, and she considered staying where she was. How long would it take her to starve to death?

If I didn't drink any water either, I could be free from this existence in just a few days. She doesn't open the door unless I'm in that corner... Then again, she could just issue that hold command over the comm, and then hook me up to an IV. It wouldn't interfere with what she does to me... Goddess, what she does to me... Luce thought, as memory and fantasy images alike played in her mind, making her stomach clench in need.

"Please stand in the corner with the blue light."

Luce frowned. Usually, Wren's voice sounded mildly pleasant, although bored, when she issued that command. But now, Luce could clearly hear worry, bordering on panic, in the woman's insistent tone. She remembered the pain she'd thought she'd seen Wren trying to hide the last time and wondered if she was hearing some of that, too.

Luce finally sat up and dutifully moved to the corner. As much as she wanted to see what Wren would do if she continued to refuse, she was in no condition to be in the same room with the blonde, and was sure that forcing Wren to reprimand her would cause just such a confrontation.

She listened to the second door open and watched, as a new tray of food replaced the old one. The doors shut again, and the blue light flickered off, leaving her free to retrieve her breakfast.

As she ate, she tried to put the erotic thoughts out of her mind and come up with a concrete strategy for resisting the next time Wren came for a session. However, her mind remained a complete blank. She was actually starting to wonder if it was even possible to resist. After all, she had spent every waking minute since meeting Wren considering that very same question and not making any discernible progress. Granted, Wren had only interrogated her twice so far, but she'd failed miserably both times and was no closer to a strategy for resistance than she had been during their first encounter.

The sensations were just so overwhelming. She knew her real problem was that deep down she didn't really want to fight. Giving in meant being rewarded with pleasure like she'd never known before, and she wanted more. She realized if she didn't get a handle on herself pretty soon, she was really going to betray her people, rather than just confirming what Wren already knew. Standard interrogation procedure dictated that the questions become progressively harder, and despite the lack of pain involved in Wren's unique form of torture, Luce was positive the blonde would be asking more difficult questions as time went on.

Of course, there was always the possibility of suicide, as her mind had readily supplied only a few minutes ago, but Luce had been trying hard to avoid those thoughts, since that basically meant she was admitting defeat, and Luce refused to give up so easily.

Right. Like that would be any worse than what you've already done. You gave in on day one, Luce reminded herself harshly. If I could just figure out how she makes my body respond the way it does...

Luce paused, as an idea came to her. She set aside her tray and moved to the corner opposite the door, leaning comfortably back against the padded wall in a semi-upright position.

Maybe she'd been going about this all wrong. Instead of trying to resist the pleasure, maybe she could give the pleasure to herself, so that she wouldn't want it so much when Wren came to question her.

She tentatively brought her fingers to the edge of her vaginal lips and gently caressed them. She was already aroused from her earlier trip into fantasyland, and her skin tingled where she brushed against her pubic hair. She glanced up nervously, as she suddenly realized her captors could be watching her. She took a slow deep breath and closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore that thought, as she remembered how good it had felt to have Wren's mouth licking her sex.

That thought alone made her breath hitch, and she lost some of her anxiety, as she slid her fingers between her swelling lips. Her middle finger grazed over her clitoris, and she moaned subvocally at the sensation of pleasure that was making her sex tighten. She immediately increased the contact, rubbing with three fingers in a circle around her sensitive nub.

Her fingers dipped down, and she found the same slippery wetness flowing from her entrance that she'd felt when she'd been inside Wren. The natural lubricant coated her fingers, making them slide much more pleasurably over her clit, and she quickly settled into a rhythm that made her pleasure build, rather than just feel good. Within moments, she could feel goose bumps spreading across her skin, and her nipples tightened almost painfully, as she neared her first self-induced climax.

"Access denied."

Before Luce could even register the computer's voice, her hand was yanked away from its spot between her legs, as both her wrists were pulled by their magnetic cuffs, until her arms were restrained against the wall behind her.

Realization of what had just happened dawned on Luce, and she groaned in frustration. She really should have seen that one coming. If the computer was capable of detecting when she was lying, then there was no reason why it wouldn't also be able to sense when her arousal was nearing critical. It was probably a failsafe feature that was only activated if Wren wasn't in the room with her.

Shit.

Her own touch hadn't been nearly as stimulating as Wren's, but it had still been enough to start the chain reaction of desire and need for release within her body. Luce didn't know how long the computer was going to keep her like this, or if Wren had been alerted to her actions and was on her way there, but she was determined to finish what she'd started.

There was nothing stopping her from using her thigh muscles to pick up where her fingers had left off, so she started flexing, pushing her thighs tightly together to compress her swollen labia around her engorged clit. Using her stomach muscles, she thrust her pelvis backward and forward, clenching her sex in time with her thrusts, until she was almost...

"Access denied."

Luce felt her body slide up and to the side, until she was in a standing position in the middle of the wall. Her arms and legs were pulled wide enough apart to keep her from finding friction for her swollen clit again, and then her restraints locked in place once more.

This just isn't fair, Luce thought petulantly to herself.

She didn't have long to brood, though. Less than a minute later, the door to her cell opened, and she mentally cringed, as she watched Wren walk naked into the room, the doors closing quietly behind her.

"Was there something you wanted?" Wren asked with a knowing grin.

"No," Luce replied before she could think better of it.

"Untrue," came the computer's voice, and Luce glared up at the ceiling.

Wren continued to smirk, but Luce was sure it was more than a little forced. There were dark circles under the blonde's blue-green eyes, and if she'd slept at all since Luce had last seen her, it wasn't for more than a few minutes. Luce could also once again see the telltale signs of pain from the way Wren was holding her body so rigidly.

Wren carefully walked over to Luce, only stopping when she was within touching distance. She kept her breathing slow and steady, even as her pulse sped wildly out of control from the abundance of pheromones lacing the air. Her cramps had immediately lessened when she'd entered the room, but it still took all her willpower to keep from doubling over from the pain.

"Since you seem to be so eager, why don't we begin?" Wren said, trying to keep the strain out of her voice. "What was the ultimate goal of your last mission?"

Luce considered her options. So far, resistance hadn't gotten her very far, and they hadn't even gotten to any hard questions yet. In fact, they were still on questions that only confirmed what Luce was sure Wren already knew. On top of that, her sex was throbbing, and she really just wanted to beg the woman to touch her. Not a good place to start from. What she really needed was more time to think, so she could come up with a better plan than failed resistance.

"If I answer the question, will you go away?"

Wren's smile was more genuine this time, as she shook her head in amusement. Most of the prisoners had tried that tactic on her at one time or another. It was simply another attempt to gain control of the situation by turning the reward into a punishment. Wren had found that ignoring the bargaining worked best because it took the request completely out of the equation and kept the prisoner firmly under her control.

"We both know that's not what you really want me to do," Wren stated confidently, as she leaned forward and pressed her naked body against Luce's.

She wasn't surprised when she heard Luce involuntarily moan at the skin-to-skin contact. The woman was already in a high state of arousal, and Wren knew that even her slightest touch would have a profound effect on the soldier.

What she wasn't prepared for was her own sense of deep satisfaction at being so close to her prisoner. Luce's body was soft and warm and strong, and Wren moaned at how perfect it felt pressed against her own. The only thing missing was the feel of Luce's arms wrapped around her, holding her tight.

Little warning bells sounded in the back of Wren's mind, but she pushed them away. Other than inhaling Luce's pheromones, touching her prisoner was the only thing keeping the pain in her body from burning out of control. Unless someone physically pulled her away, she wasn't going anywhere.

Instead, Wren let herself sink even deeper into the exquisite contact. Giving in to her desire for more, she closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against Luce's chest. As her lips brushed over the woman's pectoral muscles, they tensed, so she began kissing them, moving back and forth, as she dragged her lips across the firm flesh again and again.

Her fingers were just as needy, as they moved of their own volition, trailing a sensual path up and down the bound woman's sides. When the tips of her fingers accidentally brushed against the sides of Luce's breasts, she followed her desire, rather than her training, and moved her upper body away enough to allow her hands to cup them. She squeezed the full globes, reveling in the weight of them in her hands, as she flicked her thumbs over the quickly hardening tips.

Luce closed her eyes and gave up trying to control her breathing, as her nipples tightened into hard little peaks, sending bolts of pleasure directly to her sex with each pass of Wren's fingers over them. She did try to stop her moan of joy, as the blonde leaned in again to lick a line from the top of her breast to her collarbone, but it just ended in several panted grunts, when the woman began sucking at the hollow of her neck.

Oh Goddess, help me! I need to fight this! Luce thought frantically, as she felt Wren's mouth begin to move up her neck, while the blonde's hands continued to squeeze and pinch her nipples relentlessly.

Wren sucked Luce's earlobe into her mouth, unsurprised when the colonel whimpered and tried to pull her head away, but the move merely exposed more of Luce's neck to Wren's view. The blonde took advantage of the newly displayed flesh and quickly moved in to kiss the spot she'd found behind Luce's ear the last time. She sucked lightly, eliciting an unrestrained moan, and continued to knead the woman's soft breasts. However, Wren was barely able to contain her own moan, as the cramping in her stomach grew stronger with each passing minute.

She realized she wouldn't be able to ignore the pain for much longer and slowly let one of her hands drift down over Luce's rippling stomach. It went against all her training to give in to her own desires, rather than to follow a calculated seduction based on her prisoner's sexual cues, but Wren was desperate. The burning was spreading outward, and if she didn't break Luce soon, she was going to disregard protocol entirely and simply devour the woman where she stood.

It didn't matter that she was supposed to be taking it slow, proving to her prisoner who was in charge by extending the foreplay as long as possible. She just couldn't stop herself, as she moved her hand down to the patch of curly black hair covering the woman's sex.

Luce gasped, as her breathing accelerated by leaps and bounds at the feel of Wren's fingers brushing through her pubic hair. There was simply no comparison between the sensations she'd tried to give herself and the ones Wren was causing in her now. She moaned gratefully and thrust her pelvis out to increase the contact.

"I knew you didn't want me to go away," Wren whispered into her ear, only causing more tingles to spread through Luce's body from the hot breath in her ear. "In fact, I think you want me... right here... don't you," the blonde panted through her own excitement, as she finally slipped her fingers along Luce's slit, sliding between her folds with ease to caress her clit.

Yes!

"No," Luce whimpered, as she tried futilely to make her body pull away from the wonderful touch.

"Untrue."

"Shut up!" Luce yelled at the ceiling.

The anger centered her for a few moments, and she finally managed to force her pelvis to move away from Wren's fingers, but the blonde used her movements against her, following Luce's rhythm, so that her actions actually caused the sensations she was trying to avoid.

"Stop, please," Luce panted out, but there was no conviction in her voice, and Wren simply ignored her, as she slowly kissed her way down Luce's neck.

Her goal was the soldier's neglected nipple, but the scents wafting up from the woman's center almost derailed Wren's training entirely. It was only pure luck that her lips stumbled across the taut nipple before they found Luce's dripping sex. She instinctively licked the hardened tip pressing against her mouth, and then wrapped her lips around it, sucking it gently, as she continued to slide her fingers between her prisoner's slick lips.

Luce groaned, as she felt Wren's mouth cover her nipple. She'd forgotten she was supposed to be trying to avoid Wren's hand, and her hips were gyrating continuously against her captor's agile fingers, as she thrust her chest out to meet the blonde's mouth.

Wait, no. This isn't...

"No... No... No..." Luce began chanting, as she slammed her head back against the padded wall in a last ditch effort to sidetrack herself.

The action didn't really hurt her, but it did jar her head enough to distract her. Wren quickly realized this and moved her arm lower, angling her fingers up, as she slid two of them inside Luce's tight entrance, hitting the woman's G-spot on her first try.

"Oh my Goddess!" Luce gasped and immediately stopped her thrashing, as her eyes attempted to bug out of her head at the sudden intrusion.

Nothing and no one had ever been inside her before. Invasive pelvic examinations had long since been replaced by common three-dimensional scans that offered more accurate details than any doctor's hands could possibly hope to provide. Her hymen hadn't survived her military lifestyle, but just as she'd never considered the idea of touching herself sexually before meeting Wren, she'd never wondered what being penetrated would feel like, so her mind was left without any point of reference.

As Wren continued to target her G-spot with every thrust, Luce's brain tried to comprehend the new sensations, but it just short-circuited, and then cut out completely. Her breathing quickly escalated until she was crying out with every exhalation, as she rode Wren's fingers, unconsciously trying to force them deeper inside her, while Wren's thumb began to lightly graze her clitoris.

Wren let go of Luce's breast and wrapped her arm around her prisoner's arched back. She could tell Luce had completely lost herself in the pleasure, and Wren was trying hard not to give in to her own need to satiate her craving. She knew as soon as she tasted Luce, she wouldn't be able to stop until she was satisfied, even if that meant letting Luce climax before she'd answered the question.

Unfortunately, even though the airborne pheromones had eased her physical ache somewhat, they'd only increased her desire to taste Luce directly. Wren realized she'd started pounding into Luce, bringing the woman to the verge of orgasm, so she eased off and slowed down.

"No. Please... Don't stop," Luce pleaded, as she panted for breath.

"Then answer the question," Wren replied just as desperately.

Luce shook her head. She couldn't give in, not again. Then Wren applied more pressure to her G-spot, massaging it in slow circles, and Luce whimpered helplessly. She tried rocking her hips the way she had before, but Wren moved with her again, this time to stop her from gaining any extra stimulation.

"Answer the question, Luce, please. I promise I'll give you satisfaction. I know you want to come, and I want to give you that release. Just tell me what I want to know," Wren begged, not sure how much longer she could hold out herself.

Luce knew she was on the verge of the most incredible pleasure she'd ever felt in her life. The only thing keeping it out of her reach was her fear of betraying her people. But she was sure Wren already knew the answer to the question she'd asked. Her saying it wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't put her people at risk, and she would get the release she so desperately needed.

Need won out over guilt, and she tried to breathe a little more normally, so she could speak.

"We were... going to destroy... the communications tower," Luce gasped out.

Wren shook her head in frustration.

"No, that was the immediate goal. What was the purpose behind destroying the tower? What was the ultimate goal?" she insisted.

Luce groaned. She knew she was in no shape to resist, but giving in meant potentially giving the Delphinians information they didn't have. The mission had taken place several months ago, so most likely the plans had either already been implemented or scrapped altogether, but even so, she would still be giving away strategy and tactics.

Wren massaged Luce's G-spot a little harder, slowly rubbing her thumb over the woman's clit in time with the movements, and didn't try to hold back her own whimpers of need, as she forced herself to remain standing.

"Please, answer the question. Please, Luce. Please, let me give you release. I just want to make you come. Please."

Luce could hear the desperate tone in Wren's voice. The woman seemed to want it almost more than she did, and Luce recognized the signs of pain again. She shook her head. It was all part of the interrogation: make her want to ease Wren's distress, and it would only make it easier to give in for her own satisfaction. But she'd been trained against that, so that her fellow team members couldn't be tortured and used against her.

"Please, Luce," Wren begged, as tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

Luce heard the pain again and looked down to see it unmistakably in Wren's expression. Even through her pleasure-induced haze, she couldn't help wondering again what caused Wren's pain.

Wren tried to calm herself down, but she was having a hard time. She knew if she began licking Luce, she wouldn't stop in time to keep her prisoner from having an orgasm. She considered removing her fingers and cleaning them, but that would take away the stimulus that had Luce on the verge of giving in. She just had to last a little longer.

Wren whimpered, as another wave of Luce's sexual scent drifted up to her. She couldn't stop herself, as her knees buckled, and she hit the padded floor with a soft thud. She gripped Luce's hip with her free hand and leaned in to kiss her prisoner's soft skin just above her hairline.

"Please, Luce. Just tell me what I need to know. I just want to make you come," she pleaded between kisses. "I need to make you come," she whispered into Luce's skin, unsure how much longer she could keep herself from lowering her head those extra few inches to get her fix.

Luce felt her eyes wanting to roll into the back of her head, as tingles swept across her body from having Wren's lips on her flesh. Goose bumps prickled her skin, as Wren continued to slowly slide her fingers in and out of her vagina, and the last of Luce's will finally crumbled.

"We were trying... to cut communications... so that reinforcements... couldn't be called in... when we attacked," Luce panted out, unable to withstand being kept on the edge of orgasm any longer.

"And that was the ultimate goal of your last mission?" Wren double-checked, at least some of her training still in effect.

"Yes!"

Wren didn't wait to hear if the computer contradicted her, as she finally gave in to her own needs and moved her thumb, so she could latch onto the woman's clit with her lips. She didn't suck; just let her lips slip over the engorged nub, so that it enhanced the sensations inside the woman's belly, instead of distracting from them.

Luce came instantly, screaming Wren's name, as she jerked repeatedly against the wall, her muscles straining against her bonds. Her memory of her last orgasm seemed to pale in comparison, as her body tried to implode, collapsing in on itself at the deepest point where she could feel Wren's fingers pumping hard inside her.

Wren felt Luce's vaginal muscles clamp down on her fingers and pushed past them again and again, as she licked around her hand to catch the copious amount of fluid pouring out of the woman's core. Her own moans of pleasure were completely drowned out by Luce's yells of release.

As Luce came down from her peak, Wren continued to use her fingers to draw out the liquid essence of her prisoner, causing Luce to quiver with aftershocks.

Wren hardly noticed, though, as she lapped up the fluid, making sure to catch every drop. With each swallow, she could feel the burning in her gut subsiding a little more, but the pain still hadn't completely gone away by the time she'd finished cleaning the brunette's swollen sex, and Wren realized she was going to need a lot more before she'd be able to withstand another two days away from the soldier.

She moved her mouth back up to Luce's clitoris and licked around it, as she slowly pushed her fingers back inside the woman's opening. The long, drawn out groan she heard from above made her drive her fingers in a little harder and deeper on her next thrust, as she reached around with her free hand to grasp the colonel's ass to pull her harder against her mouth.

Luce wasn't sure whether her interrogator's renewed actions were a blessing, or if she'd have to answer another question to get another release, but at the moment, she didn't care. The feeling of Wren moving inside her made all other concerns seem inconsequential.

She pushed her hips out in time with the blonde's thrusts and didn't do anything to suppress her constant moans, as Wren's soft whimpers drifted up to her in return. The erotic sounds only increased her arousal at having the woman's lips and tongue playing in her wet folds, and the vibrations against her sensitized flesh made her sex tingle.

Wren felt like she'd died and gone to heaven, as she drew her tongue along her prisoner's slit again and again, swiping up the sticky fluid that constantly seeped out around her thrusting fingers. The last vestiges of her pain finally receded into nothing, but Wren continued to work Luce's entrance, taking great delight in the sounds she pulled from the woman. In only a few minutes, she could feel Luce nearing her second orgasm and increased her motions, doing everything in her power to send the woman over the edge. She wanted to please Luce...

Wren felt her world come to a crashing halt, as Luce screamed through her climax, and she suddenly realized how far over the line she'd gone. Her mind reeled, feeling separate from the rest of her body, as she automatically drank in her prisoner's release.

She wasn't just addicted to Luce's pheromones; she actually cared about the woman, cared about her pleasure and well being. And not just in the way she cared about all the prisoners under her care.

Wren finally pulled herself away and sat back on her heels to look up at Luce. The woman was still panting from her exertions, and her hair was damp with sweat, making her the very image of sex.

Wren felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her prisoner, but her training reasserted itself, reminding her that at this point, it wouldn't serve any purpose and was therefore unsanctioned; nothing could be gained from a kiss, except her own personal satisfaction, which never should have entered into the equation in the first place.

Thankfully, now that her addiction had been satisfied somewhat, Wren found she was able to resist her impulses a little easier, though her emotional needs were starting to tip the scales again. She realized she needed to leave and stood up on shaky legs, backing away several paces.

"Release."

Luce dropped bonelessly to the floor, landing on her hands and knees, as she tried to regain her composure. Her mind was a mix of thoughts and emotions, all vying for her attention at the same time, and she looked up just in time to see Wren turn around and head for the door.

"No, wait," Luce called out, feeling a sense of déjà vu, as she remembered her fantasy from only an hour before.

Wren hesitated for a second, but didn't turn around, as she shook her head.

"I can't," she replied hoarsely, swallowing around the lump in her throat, as she tried to make her voice work enough to issue the command to open the door.

Before she could even process the thought, Luce was off the floor, her long legs crossing the distance in just a few strides to reach Wren. She wrapped one arm around Wren to pin her arms to her sides, while at the same time placing a large hand securely over the blonde's mouth. The woman started to struggle, but then Luce spoke in her ear.

"Don't. I'm not going to hurt you. I just... Can't you just stay? Just for a little while?" Luce asked, her breathing still a little labored from their recent activities.

Wren stopped trying to get away, and Luce carefully turned her around in her arms, keeping her hand firmly over the blonde's mouth. She stared intently into Wren's eyes, as she tried to decipher the woman's expression.

"Please. Stay a little while. I just want to talk," Luce explained.

Wren's eyes gave away nothing of her thoughts, and Luce realized she was either going to have to let the woman go or kill her. Though the soldier part of her tried to pretend it was still an option, Luce knew she couldn't hurt the blonde. She sighed.

"If I take my hand away, do you promise not to scream for help?"

It took a few moments, but Wren finally nodded in agreement. Luce slowly slid her hand to the side, her fingers grazing over the blonde's swollen lips. Her thoughts were easily distracted, as her fingertips began to trace over the soft lips. Without thinking, she lowered her head for a kiss, groaning when she smelled her essence all over the blonde's face. As their lips brushed over each other, she tasted herself, and couldn't help thrusting her tongue into Wren's mouth again to find more.

Wren's arms automatically came up to clasp around Luce's neck, and she whimpered, as their tongues met, slick and soft. The kiss was slow, but full of passion, as they each tried to convey their unspoken feelings through the intimate act. They finally pulled apart, breathing heavily, as Wren rested comfortably in Luce's strong embrace.

"Can we just talk? No interrogation?" Luce requested again, but Wren looked away.

"This isn't supposed to be happening," she protested, though she made no move to get away.

"I've been saying that all along," Luce replied, her lips curving into a soft smile, which the blonde returned.

"What... What do you want to talk about?" Wren asked hesitantly.

Luce shrugged.

"I don't know. Anything. I just... I don't want you to go," the tall woman admitted.

"You're lonely," Wren realized disappointedly and stiffened in the soldier's embrace.

"Well, yeah, but that's not..." Luce paused, a frown creasing her features. "I mean... I want... I want to talk to you. I want... to get to know you, as crazy as that sounds. I know I'm just making it easier for you, but-"

"No, you're not. You're not making this easier at all," Wren replied honestly. "I..."

Wren stopped. She knew she was in dangerous territory. All she wanted to do was tell the woman how she felt, how she'd become addicted to her physically, and how she was now finding herself becoming addicted to her emotionally. But she couldn't do that. She had to...

"I have to go," Wren said, as she weakly tried to push herself away from Luce, but the woman quickly wrapped her arms more securely around the blonde and hugged her, lowering her head to nestle into the crook of Wren's neck.

"No. Please. Please stay," Luce implored. "I'll... I'll answer another question, just please... Don't go yet. I need to feel you. Please."

Wren stopped struggling, as she felt tears coming to her eyes. She tried to fight herself for control, but she knew her ability to hold out was fading fast, if not already gone completely. Her taste of Luce had forced her cramps into remission, but she still wanted more, and the combination of her addiction and her feelings was getting impossible to resist. If she didn't stop this now...

"Fuck it," Wren whispered. I don't care anymore.

Wren raked her fingers up the back of Luce's neck through the brunette's hair and grabbed a fistful of her black mane. She yanked Luce's head back and quickly claimed her lover's lips. Luce went with it, as the small blonde devoured her mouth. She gripped the woman's hips and lifted. Wren took the hint and wrapped her legs around Luce's waist, as the soldier slowly went to her knees.

Luce carefully laid Wren on her back, pressing her naked torso against Wren's equally bare body and driving her tongue deeply into the other woman's mouth again and again, as she did her best to maximize their skin-to-skin contact. Wren helped her as much as she could, pushing her mound against Luce's lower belly, as she fervently sucked on her tongue.

Luce couldn't get enough of Wren's mouth. Her own scent mixed with the blonde's reminded her that she wanted to taste Wren, too, and she slowly began sliding her body down, reluctantly releasing Wren's mouth in favor of kissing her way down the blonde's neck and chest.

She paused when she reached Wren's breasts. Her nipples were so taut, and Luce found them impossible to resist, especially when Wren arched her back and thrust her chest forward in supplication. Luce opened her mouth wide and covered the nearest nipple, as she used her tongue and lips to suck the hard peak into her mouth. Then her teeth accidentally raked over the tender flesh. Luce quickly pulled back to offer an apology, but she never got the chance, as Wren reached up and pulled her head back down to her breast.

"Oh Goddess, don't stop, Luce! Please, don't stop!"

Luce smiled, as she retook her position and began scraping her teeth over Wren's nipple. The sounds the blonde made seemed to go straight to Luce's groin, and she found herself unconsciously pumping her hips and even moaning in response to Wren's increasingly louder cries. She sucked harder, completely focused on the nipple in her mouth, until she felt Wren guiding one of her hands to her other breast.

Luce raised her head and was caught in Wren's gaze, as the woman placed her fingers on top of Luce's and forced her to pinch her nipple. The reaction Luce saw on Wren's face, as the blonde groaned in appreciation, made her stomach clench. She whimpered in need, as she moved their fingers away and lowered her head to begin sucking on the neglected nipple. She brought her other hand up and began pinching the one she'd just abandoned, letting the moans she heard dictate how hard she squeezed the hypersensitive flesh.

Wren lost herself in the pleasure of having both her breasts sucked and pinched, as she rubbed herself on Luce's taut stomach. She could feel Luce rhythmically thrusting between her legs and it was almost enough to make her come, but she wanted more.

For the first time in her life, Wren didn't calculate what would bring her partner the most pleasure so that she could gain a tactical advantage or reward good behavior. Instead, she let her desire lead her, and at the moment, she needed Luce's mouth on her own. She used her hands, already tangled in the brunette's hair, to nudge the woman up and hungrily attacked her lips, tasting her deeply. Every flick of her tongue seemed to force her pelvis up, as she locked her legs around the back of Luce's thighs to hold her in place.

"Oh Goddess, Luce, I want you. I really want you," Wren panted, the admission bringing tears to her eyes.

Luce stared into Wren's eyes, taken aback by the raw honesty she heard in the blonde's voice. She could hear the pain again, but it seemed different somehow. The soldier in her considered that she had Wren at her mercy and could use that to her advantage, but Luce dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come.

Luce paused. Why were those thoughts so easy for her to dismiss? Every time she'd had an opportunity to fight the blonde or gain the upper hand, she'd backed off. She was a prisoner of war. Her only concerns should have been resistance and escape. She should have been doing everything in her power to thwart her captors. So, why did the complete vulnerability she saw in Wren's eyes affect her so much?

In a moment of clarity, Luce suddenly realized why she'd been unable to control her body's reactions to Wren. It wasn't her body she needed to turn off; it was her heart.

"What is it?" Wren questioned, having watched a myriad of emotions cross the woman's face, as her own fear mounted at possibly having said too much.

Luce continued to stare at her, as she slowly brought her hand up to cup Wren's face. She brushed her thumb over the blonde's temple, where her tears had fallen into her hair.

"Why are you here?" Luce whispered.

Wren frowned.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"Is it me? Do you..." ...love me?

But Luce was unable to finish the question out loud. If she was wrong...

"Do I what?" Wren asked, a note of fear creeping into her voice, but Luce just shook her head.

She continued to trace her fingers over Wren's cheeks, as she stared into the woman's beautiful green-blue eyes. She leaned forward and tenderly kissed the blonde's swollen lips. Her tongue flicked out and was soon enveloped by Wren's lips, as the woman sucked on it, before pushing her tongue into Luce's mouth.

Wren slowly broke the kiss, gasping for breath at the intensity she'd just felt from the simple, yet intimate act. She gazed into Luce's blue eyes and couldn't stop her tears from falling anew, as she realized what Luce had been trying to ask.

"I do," Wren replied a little belatedly, but she could tell Luce understood. "I'm not supposed to, but I do."

Luce nodded in understanding.

"What are we going to do?"

Wren wanted to pretend she didn't understand, but there was no mistaking Luce's meaning.

"I don't know. I... I don't know," Wren said again, her tone defeated.

"You could help me escape and come with me."

"No. It's impossible," Wren replied, as she pushed herself out from under Luce's large frame.

"But you just told me-"

"I know. But I can't do what you're asking," Wren asserted, as she stood up. "For one thing, even if I could let you go, you'd just go back to fighting the Delphinians, and I can't allow that. Your people have to be stopped."

"My people?!" Luce replied indignantly, as she climbed to her feet. "What about yours? Your government denies its citizens even the most basic medical care, and then you blame us when your people die from curable diseases. They're the ones who have to be stopped! If it weren't for my people-"

"If it weren't for your people, the atmosphere would still be breathable, and the Delphinians wouldn't have to live underground! I've seen what they've been forced to endure because of your people's carelessness. It's horrible!"

Luce narrowed her eyes.

"Wait a minute. They? And why do you keep saying 'the Delphinians,' as if you're not... What Clan are you? Are you a defector?"

"No."

Wren wouldn't meet her eyes.

"What Clan are you?" Luce asked again, the edge in her voice only becoming sharper.

"I don't have a Clan."

"Even orphans have a Clan. As bad as your people are, they don't abandon their children."

"I don't have a Clan!" Wren yelled, as her tears started up again, and she began to cry.

"But-" Luce began, as she took a step forward.

Wren's eyes widened, and she immediately backpedaled.

"Hold. East... Thirty seconds," Wren got out between sobs.

Luce felt the familiar feeling of an antigravity bubble lifting her off the floor, as it carried her to the wall farthest from the door, the metal cuffs around her wrists and ankles securing her in a wide X-formation against the padded wall.

"Open."

"Wren, no! Please-"

"I'm sorry," Wren replied hoarsely, and Luce could only watch helplessly, as the blonde hurried out of the room, the door sealing shut behind her.

A few seconds later, her restraints disengaged, and Luce fell forward. She ran to the door and pounded on the padding.

"Wren! Please! Don't do this! It's not fair! Damn it!"

Luce gave the door one last kick, and then slid down the wall, her head falling into her hands, as she began to cry.

"Goddess. Don't you understand, Wren? I love you," she whispered.

* * *

"...Don't you understand, Wren? I love you."

Wren cried even harder, as the words came over her auditory implant.

"Disconnect link to Prisoner 22. Alert me... only in case of a medical emergency."

"Link to Prisoner 22 disconnected. Emergency medical protocols established," the computer replied.

I just can't deal with this right now, Wren thought, as she continued walking down the hallway, constantly wiping at her wet cheeks, as she headed for her quarters.

At the very least, she needed a shower. Somehow, she had to prepare for her next appointment, but just the thought made her tears come even faster. She didn't want to be around anyone right now, let alone have to seduce information out of them, but if she missed her appointments and was unable to send a new report at the end of the day, her superiors would know something was wrong, and she couldn't let that happen.

Images of her and the prisoners' fiery deaths played out in her mind's eye, as she entered her living quarters and headed straight for the small bathroom. As much as she wanted to be with Luce and possibly even help her - after all, she did agree with what Luce had said about the Delphinian's medical policies - she hadn't been lying. There was no escape, not even for Wren, and the risk was too great to even attempt it.

As the recycled water cascaded over her head and down her back, Wren focused on removing her lover's scent from her body. It was a task she was used to performing as many as half a dozen times a day, so that the prisoners didn't have any physical reminders of earlier interrogations. Though they had to know she was doing the same kinds of things with all the prisoners, earlier studies had shown that the negative effects were lessened when there was no physical proof for the prisoners to focus on.

However, every now and then, she would go directly from one interrogation to another, but so far, it hadn't hampered her effectiveness. In fact, her first session with Luce, she'd visited two other prisoners, while waiting for the woman to capitulate. She'd taken a shower between those sessions, but as soon as she'd heard Luce give in and state her name and rank, she'd left the session she was in, since it was just a social visit, and had gone directly to Luce. Listening to the woman pant and moan for two hours had nearly driven her insane, and she'd been so worked up that the thought of a shower hadn't even crossed her mind. She'd just needed to get to Luce.

Wren stepped out of the shower and dried her body, as she realized she'd been affected by the woman from the very beginning. She'd maintained almost no boundaries, using the rules of seduction and manipulation to rationalize her approach with Luce the entire time. And now...

"I'm in love with her," Wren whispered to herself. Luce was right. It's not fair.

Wren wiped at the new tears forming in her eyes, as she leaned heavily against the wall.

"Oh Goddess. What am I going to do?"

* * *

Luce stared at the floor through blurry eyes. She couldn't seem to hold back the flow of tears, and she'd long since stopped trying. At least she'd stopped sobbing finally. Her chest hurt, though, and she felt like her whole face was swollen.

She just didn't understand. Wren had all but said she loved her, and she loved Wren. The course should have been clear. If Wren loved her, why wasn't she willing to leave with her and help her escape?

Maybe she was lying. It could all just be part of some fucked up plan to break me. But I saw it in her eyes, damn it! Could someone really fake that? Oh Goddess, I hope not. Please, Goddess, please. Please don't let it all be a lie.

Luce wiped at the fresh tears on her cheeks, as a sob escaped her chest, and she coughed.

Why did it have to be her? She's the enemy, for Goddess' sake! I should've killed her that first time I saw her.

Even as she thought it, Luce felt new tears of grief and guilt. As much as she wanted to hate Wren, she couldn't. Wren had never been anything but kind to her, and even though Luce knew it was all part of the process of trying to get under her defenses, she also knew the actions were completely genuine on Wren's part. She was sure Wren didn't want to hurt her.

But she is, Luce thought, as she realized she couldn't see the floor anymore and tried in vain to blink the tears out of her eyes.

Luce suddenly felt the door at her back attempting to push her out of the way, and she quickly got to her feet.

"Wren? Please, you have to talk to me."

"Please stand in the corner with the blue light," Wren's tired voice came from overhead.

"No, Wren. We need to talk. You can't just-"

"Please stand in the corner with the blue light," Wren repeated, speaking as evenly as she could from behind the door.

"No! Not unless you're going to-"

"Please, Luce! Just... just stand in the corner... with the blue light," the blonde choked out, as the tears she'd thought she'd finally gotten rid of came back full force. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."

"Fuck you!" Luce yelled, as she kicked at the paper tray, sending the contents leftover from that morning splattering against the outer door. "It can't get any harder than this! Just talk to me! Tell me why! Why can't we just-"

"Because we can't! Don't you understand?"

"No! I love you! And I know you love me, too. You could come with me. I'd take care of you, I promise!"

Luce waited, as the silence stretched on, and then she felt herself being nudged backward, as a gravity wall pushed her clear of the inner door.

"Wren? Wren! No! Come back! Please!"

She watched, her heart sinking into her stomach, as the padded door swung shut, the blue light in the corner having already been replaced by the normal white.

The gravity field disappeared, and Luce ran forward again. She pounded on the padded metal door in frustration, but it didn't budge, didn't even vibrate. She slammed her fist as hard as she could into the wall, but the softened impact did little to assuage her anger.

How can she do this to me?! I love her!

She hit the wall again, but it was only half-hearted. She turned around and surveyed the room. There was nothing to distract her. It was just one big white room. She felt like screaming. She was just so lost...

"You can never be lost, if you know where your center is."

As the words of her meditation instructor echoed in her mind, Luce knelt in the middle of the room, settling into the familiarity of her favorite meditation pose. She focused on her breathing, inhaling deeply, as she did her best to let more and more of her frustrations leave her with each exhale. However, the tears streaming down her cheeks told a different story.

She was sure of only one thing. She would get through this. She would find a way out. Even if it was the last thing she did.