Page 9 of Heart’s Prisoner

Before Lana could speak, Xerus stepped closer to the window, closer to where she sat. "That's what the others said too. I tried to understand that meaning; really put effort into trying to decipher exactly why I was in need of it from the likes of your kind. Unless by which you mean to free me?"

Lana licked her lips and swallowed but said nothing.

Xerus bared his teeth. His hand rose to the window and, with one long, clawed finger, he tapped on the glass. "I didn't think so."

"I'm here to learn more about you, but also to help teach you about the human race and our society," Lana said.

Xerus seemed to sneer. Letting his hand fall, he turned away.

Lana nearly leaped from her seat but she remained cool. "You have to understand. We just want your cooperation."

Xerus kept his back to her, his tail flicking like an agitated cat's. "You are a female of your species."

Lana shifted in her seat, realizing it wasn't a question. "Yes."

"I knew you seemed different. Looked different. Smelled different." Xerus turned his head to the side to eye her. "I have yet to see a female of your kind. I thought the males looked weak. I could only assume they were the weaker sex." Xerus' eyes flickered down Lana's body. "Looks like I was wrong. You look even more fragile–breakable really."

Lana went rigid in her seat. She noticed her hands clasped tight around her ISpad, sweat forming on her palms. She placed the ISpad flat on her lap and carefully wiped her hands on her pants. "You would be surprised," she said softly.

"Would I?" Xerus turned back to face her. "Perhaps so. The last two who came here...were like whimperingshilawith their tails between their legs. Though one developed a spine eventually. The other ran away. Fight or flight is a basic instinct all living things have knowledge of." Xerus moved closer towards her. "I wonder... which you'll choose."

In a flash of movement Lana barely caught, Xerus whipped his tail around and hit the glass. He hit it with such violent force that a sharp crack echoed through the room and the window vibrated.

Lana leaped from her seat, her ISpad falling from her lap to ground with athunk. She inhaled sharply, heart jumping. She turned cold as she saw Xerus bare his teeth at her in a sort of cruel grin.

She stared wide-eyed unable to move, her jaw clenched, fingers clamped at her sides.

"Interesting. I've yet to see 'frozen in fear' as an instinctual reaction."

Lana brushed a hand over her mouth so as to not give away her frown of displeasure. She bent down and retrieved her ISpad off the ground. 'He's just trying to scare you,' she told herself. 'And you are scared.' She carefully wiped at the ISpad's screen. 'But you don't have to show it.'

When she faced back up, she forced herself to smile.

"That was impressive," she said. "You must use that tail as a weapon. And judging byyourlooks, you must be quite the fighter. I don't think any here could stand a chance against you. In fact," Lana clutched the tablet to her, "I'm surprised they were able to get you here at all. It must have been some amazing feat."

Xerus hissed sharply. "Don't think I don't understand human sarcasm, female, I've experienced plenty of it from yourrisshetsoldiers."

Lana's smile dropped and her face heated. "I'm sorry, that wasn't...I didn't mean to..."

Xerus began to pace again, his face turned up in a snarl. Lana cursed herself for her words. The last thing she needed was for him to be angry and start to hate her already. 'Great introduction this is turning out to be, Lana,' she thought.

"You have no idea how I got here. You have no idea of anything," he snapped. When Lana peered over at his vitals she saw his heart rate go up but only slightly. Then quickly it began to lower back down.

Xerus stopped his pacing and gazed back at her. He let out a short grunting hiss and Lana realized he was sort of chuckling.

"So the females have back-bones. What a surprise," he said in a soft, higher-pitched voice. Xerus distanced himself from the window. "For now. We will see how long it takes before you go running. I`d say longer than the others...but not by much."

Lana opened her mouth to respond when a soft beep from a speaker interrupted her, followed by a short click.

"Time's up, Lana," came Cole's voice.

Lana bit the inside of her cheek. She caught Xerus' eyes. "We will talk again soon."

Xerus' pupils narrowed slightly and the slits that were his nostrils flared. Lana tapped on her tablet and the milky screen from before began to spread across the glass. Xerus glared at her and Lana held his stare, until the screen blocked him out entirely and all that was left was his shadow.

Chapter Three

Lana`s composure had nearly slipped while inside the room with Xerus but as she came out from the tunnel and back into the central lab, she made to keep her cool. The soldiers stepped away from the door as it closed behind her. Cole seemed to observe her carefully as she walked back toward him.

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