The Compatability Study

Chapter 2

They sat down again shortly after. He insisted that she had the bed while he sat on the floor next to her. They talked. Small talk that was generally covered by their files, not that either got to see much of the others.

Her favorite part of talking was when he lit up after she asked about his daughter. He had countless stories he could tell, but it was his attitude that made her like it. She understood why he was called Sunny. His smile lit up their cell and the room ceased to matter. Within hours they were friends. He told her about his family and the pride. She told him about her adopted family and her hobbies. Her dead-end job and desires for the future. They made jokes and laughed.

He sighed and laid his head against the wall as he watched her. “So… Blood Clan Unknown. What was that about?”

“They tested me as a child. A lot.” She shuddered. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She smiled at him. “They couldn’t figure out what I am. Not even signs of being Gray.” She laced her hand in his and smirked, “They only don’t know because I wouldn’t let them see.”

He looked surprised, “How old were you?”

“Seven.”

He whistled in appreciation. “You’re strong, huh? Even unconscious, your lineage stayed hidden.”

She grinned and nodded. “I might be convinced to show you when we get out of here.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” He grinned.

“What’re you like, Lion?” she tilted her head, curious.

He winked, and she watched as his hair morphed slowly into a mane. His mouth had changed slightly too, the teeth there sharper and more prominent as he grinned. Then he slowly went back to his normal features.

“I’d show you my tail, but I don’t want to get up.” He smirked.

“Still having issues?” Shi teased him as she pretended to peek over the side of the bed and down to his lap.

His laugh boomed through their room, and he pushed her back, “I thought you were going to try and make it easier on me?”

She laughed with him and winked playfully, “I didn’t know you’d be this easy to play around with.”

He opened his mouth, perhaps to tease her back when a soft hissing noise filled the room. Near the ceiling, from a previously unnoticed vent, a smoky fog filtered in. They both frowned and looked at each other.

“What do you suppose it is?” he asked her quietly, suddenly self-conscious. He wondered if the conversations they’d been having were now recorded somewhere. Shi shrugged, looking worried.

“I don’t know… Can’t be poison. We’ve only proved we can carry a conversation amicably.” The foggy air slowly drifted closer to them. To her surprise, it smelled amazing. It reminded her of the walking through the woods after it rained. She felt herself relaxing with a soft sigh. A heat gently bloomed within her, causing a flush to rise to her skin. She subconsciously rubbed her thighs together, the pooling heat building there. She realized what was happening and shot a glance to Sunny.

He wasn’t faring much better. His body was flushed as well, a light sheen of sweat glistening over his golden skin. Rather than making him relaxed, however, the fog seemed to make him tense. He had pulled his knees up, shielding himself from her view once more. His body shivered with how tightly his arms were wrapped around his knees and he had his eyes squeezed tightly shut. He dropped his head to his knees and groaned.

Shi curled up into a fetal position and hugged herself. If the intentions of the study hadn’t been clear yet, they certainly were now. The heat between her thighs grew hotter, beginning to throb with her heartbeat. Soon her core was dripping. She tried to keep her body tense and failed, the fogs sweet cocktail amping her up and relaxing her at the same time. She stole glances at Sunny now and then. He had quit shivering. Instead, he sat there as though he was made of the same stone as the walls. Every time she had peeked, he was just as still as ever. He hadn’t moved a hair or spoke a peep. If it weren’t for his heavy breathing, she’d wonder if he truly was a statue.

The minutes ticked by slowly. Neither of them made a sound, neither of them moved more than Shi fidgeting just a bit. Finally, after an hour, Shi had counted the seconds to try to distract herself from the pressure at her core, the air in the room cleared. The effects of the fog still reaped havoc on their bodies, but now they had a chance to attempt to calm themselves.

Another thirty minutes later Shi broke the silence, “We better bust out of here soon. I don’t know how many of those cocktails we can survive.” Sunny gave a dark chuckle and finally looked up at her.

“I swear, you’re safe with me. No matter how what they do to us to try to make us bend to their will.” His smile was sad but determined. Shi nodded.

“I barely know you.” She paused, watching him briefly, “but I trust you already. And we will get out of here.” She looked up at the ceiling, “It’s just a matter of time.”

They listened to the silence for a moment longer before Shi sat up a bit, frowning in concentration. There were noises outside their room. “Do you hear that?”

Sunny hummed, “Yeah…I think it’s coming from a few doors down. I’m surprised you can hear it.”

“What is it?” she asked him quietly.

Sunny just shook his head. It wasn’t that he couldn’t tell. It was just something he didn’t think she would want to know. The rooms must get the fog at different times. The room the noises were coming from had the hissing noise from the vent. Underneath that was the unmistakable sounds of mating. Another sound, barely discernable even for his ears was a soft crying sound.

“These people are cruel, aren’t they…” the way she said it needed no answers. Sunny reached for her hand and squeezed it gently.

“Can I try to guess what your blood Clan is?” He asked to distract her. Shi snorted and studied him for a moment. She eventually nodded.

“Twenty Questions?” he asked. “I’ll ask yes or no type questions and try to guess based on the answers.” Shi giggled.

“Alright fine. Ask away, Mr. Detective.” She smiled indulgently at him. He hummed carefully in thought. As he was thinking, a tray with two plates and two glasses of water was pushed through the slot in the door. He stood up and went to get it, bringing it to the bed.

“Do you have anything in common with my clan?” he asked her. She smiled as she picked up a plate. At least they were being fed well. Steak and grilled vegetables were loaded onto each plate. Both steaks were cooked medium rare.

“Yes.” She told him simply, biting into the steak and humming appreciatively. “I’m surprised the food is this…Uhm…” She paused trying to think of a word to use that didn’t make her sound broke.

“Expensive?” Sunny suggested. “I haven’t had steak in at least a month… I’m more surprised that it’s not drugged.”

Shi laughed, “True enough. I didn’t think this batch would be because its too close to when the fog rolled through.”

“Are you a carnivore?” he asked, noticing she hadn’t eaten her vegetables yet. She chuckled and speared a piece of broccoli with her fork.

“Nope.” She popped the broccoli in her mouth.

“Can you camouflage?” He wondered.

“Yes.” She smirked a little. That was stretching a little, but it really depended on location. In Grey Clan, she would stand out. In the Pride of the Hills Clan, she would stand out.

“Do you have a tail?”

“Yes.”

He had to think carefully for his next question. “Could you be a pet?”

She smirked playfully at him, “Are you looking for one?” His jaw dropped and he floundered for a moment stuttering as a blush crept up his neck. She laughed, “No.”

They played 20 questions throughout dinner and into the night, ending with Sunny making his guess, “Are you from a bear clan?” to which her answer was “Nope, try again.”