Chapter 26. Secrets

With the coming of the Prince to the Marauder new arrangements were quickly made. The Air Marshal was moved to the Ardian's quarters so that Vegeta could use the old man's own quarters for his stay. Ruirdo on her turn received rights to Akane's quarters and Akane had to move down to the Platoon Ardians' chamber where she would be sharing bunk beds with Ringo and Turles. Her four other Platoon Ardians agreed without complaints to move into the lower positioned Flight Ardians' quarters so it would be just Ringo and Turles sharing with her.

Akane didn't really mind. She'd bunked up with Ringo and Turles in much worse conditions. She had no doubt that it would work out fine.

Soon as the arrangements were made Akane moved most of her stuff to her new quarters and after that she had been caught up in dealing with her men by answering their endless questions about their defeat, the dragonballs, the whelp in her belly and her servitude to Cold, of which she refused to tell them more than for how many years she had lived under his rule. They took one glance at the long scar running from temple to forehead and refrained from further inquiry. Before Akane realised it the day had come to an end and she found herself not accompanied by Ringo and Turles in the Platoon Ardian's quarters sharing a bunk bed, but in the much more comfortable bed of the Air Marshal with Vegeta who had quite literally hauled her in there.

The first thing did upon meeting him was smell him out secretly for any scents other than his own. She had been very relieved to find that he smelled of a shower, himself and also faintly of her. His eye had not yet wandered. Then she had surrendered to him as she normally would have, though not with as much spirit as usual. Priorly she could have at least pretended that he was her own but now, with all the women around just waiting for a chance to get acquainted with their Prince, it was only a matter of days before she would lose him to someone else. That known fact chased away any easiness she might have felt before.

And sure enough, not long after coupling with him, it started.

"That dark one, tell me about her." Vegeta requested. He leisurely trailed his fingers down her thigh as Akane sat up aside his sprawled form.

She pretended to be oblivious of who he was referring to, though she knew very well he meant Ruirdo. She shouldn't feel as hurt as she did, she had seen this coming. Of course Vegeta was interested in Ruirdo. Everybody who had ever met her was interested in Ruirdo.

"I don't believe I know who you're talking about."

There was a hint of a smirk on his relaxed face, indication of how well he was beginning to see through her. Soon, she expected, none of her secrets would be her own. He would be able to read them all in her face.

"Your rival." Vegeta clarified looking horribly self-satisfied.

"What's there to tell?" Akane snarled as she pulled on her green shirt.

Vegeta sat up with her and snatched the spandex shorts out of her reach before she could get to them, so stopping her from getting dressed further. "You could start by telling me why she is positioned above you while her strength doesn't even come close to yours."

"The theoretical side of battle does not appeal to me. I prefer to fight alongside my men in stead of drawing out war tactics on maps. I also gained a lot of strength serving in the WTO so we weren't that far apart before. I was offered the position of Ardian upon assembly of this company but I refused. Why do you think I mouthed off to her? She knows I'm above her too."

Akane snatched her shorts from him and continued dressing herself under his watchful stare as she laid back and pushed her hips up off of the bed to slip the bottoms on. She could stand the lust in his eyes no longer. It only pointed out how utterly bound she was to him. How she would never be able to break free no matter how much he was going to hurt her. And he was already hurting her by showing interest in Ruirdo. He knew that too and seeing the grin still playing on his attractive face, he very much enjoyed it.

"Wait." Vegeta demanded when she slipped from the bed. "Why are you leaving?"

As always Akane couldn't summon the mental power to resist him and allowed herself to be roughly dragged back into bed with him. There she was again, trapped beneath his heavy body. Why had she even bothered putting her clothes back on? And why had he allowed her? They both knew she wasn't going anywhere.

"I have my own sleeping chamber." Akane retorted, half-heartedly turning her face away from his lazy kisses.

Vegeta grabbed her by the jaw and made her face him. He was still smirking wickedly. "You never seize to confuse me. These quarters are mine now. I thought you wanted to be taken to my bed. Might it be that you simply take pleasure in opposing me?"

"I am not opposing you." Akane spoke and then, unable to keep her temper in check, she snarled: "I just figured that since you show so much interest in Ruirdo, you might want to take her to your bed instead."

The Prince lay on top of her silent for a long time. His eyes tore into hers and it felt as if he was peeling away every layer of her until her mind was left bare before him. No more secrets. Just as Akane finally summoned enough courage to ask the question that she so desperately wanted the answer to, namely if he would commit to her, his low voice broke the silence.

"Where would I find the time? I have enough to be getting on with seeing to your disgusting needs. It hardly leaves me room for anything else as it is. Your Major will have to wait her turn."

Akane shattered at those last words. She took a furtive deep breath and closed her eyes, closed herself off for his scrutiny. Her secrets were her own.

She felt his fingers at her sides and he eased down her shorts without removing his body from hers, deftly slipping it down one leg and leaving it hanging at the other. He wasn't going to allow her to get away from him. His lips were kissing her neck just below her ear where it tingled and his fingers now slipped beneath her shirt, trailing the fabric along as his stroking digits slowly crept up her body.

"She's not the type to wait her turn." Akane said with as much nonchalance as she could muster while her heart was being ripped out of her ribcage. Her eyes opened to that horrible smug smirk again when he pulled her shirt up over her head and discarded it with a loose gesture.

"You're taking byroads again. If there is something on your mind, you should just come out and say it." the look Vegeta gave her was challenging, very knowing and also far too arrogant. "Does it make you jealous?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Akane spat. "The only reason why such a thing would make me jealous is because she is my rival. You should do whatever the fuck you want."

He laughed quite evil-mindedly which made Akane sure that he knew exactly what she felt for him and that he simply laughed about it. Her feelings were nothing but a joke to him.

"You sound so frustrated." Vegeta teased. "What is eating you, little one?"

"I was hoping you." Akane retorted offhandedly.

"Fuck yes. You read my mind." Vegeta gave another malicious little laugh and his dark eyes positively sparkled with enjoyment. "Whatever the fuck I want to do right now is eat you out until I have you begging for mercy."

"You set me up for that." Akane snarled angrily.

"And you backed right into it." Vegeta said very pleased as he drew her thighs apart as far as they would go.

Akane cursed her treacherous body as the heartless prick went down on her and inflamed her like only he could.