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The chattel being bought up was intended for three things: fucking, working, and food. Sometimes even in that order.
Maybe all these alien men were getting a two-for-one deal with every purchase. A fuck and a meal, mmm. How lovely.
He picked up the brick and bit off a chunk with frightful ease. He chewed, his beautifully defined jaw muscles working and making me aware that by human standards—and by that, I mean if he were human—he’d be rather attractive. I pursed my lips and tilted my head to study him. Not bad, not really. Then he spit the chewed portion into his hand and held it to my mouth. Attractiveness: Level NEGATIVE.
I hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and something told me I wasn’t going to find a set of golden arches and even if I did, it wasn’t like I had money to trade for food. And so far, this alien hadn’t asked me for anything. He was trying to help me here. Gross, but nice. Best offer I’d gotten since arriving, actually.
I guess a guy his size was bound to be hung but holy motherships, Batman!
She was either too young to know she was chemically altering us, or she was consciously choosing to connect—to strongly connect—us together. I wasn’t above being grateful even for the former, but I wanted to rub my temples across her shoulders, her belly, at the mere thought of the latter. It was calling something inside me, stirring instincts a gladiator wasn’t supposed to have. Not for one of her kind. Today marked the first day that I felt the thrumming in my soul.
Arokh made a low noise that rumbled not just in his chest or throat—but his nose. I politely tried to ignore how much it sounded like a velociraptor.
“What is it, big guy?” Arokh leaned forward. And carefully planted his lips over mine.
“Cherish her, gladiator.” “I do,” I promised solemnly.
“You know, your word for princess seems to mean the same thing for your people as my people.” His brows furrowed. “Of course.” “An endearment—“ “Your title,” he corrected. I shrugged a little absentmindedly. “Uh huh.” #TranslationIssues would be my new hashtag, if I ever got home to use a hashtag again.
“You could obliterate this planet, and they would just open up auctions somewhere else. If there is someone with money and a need, there will always be someone else to capitalize on the opportunity. The best we can do is outlaw it in our own country. That is in our control.
“You are mine. You have chosen me. I will see you safe. I will make you happy. You are mine now.”
And I was surprised to find that I wasn’t feeling as sorry for myself as I had been. Thanks to him. I had Arokh; life was shit right now, but for however long we had together, I was thankful he was here to make living—well? Worth living.
My arms started to shake just as I lowered her over my face. I smiled into her softness thinking I needed to add this to my daily workout. Clearly, my muscles needed more training for this very important task. Best workout in all of the galaxy.
“Where I’m from, that’s a noise a very scary creature makes.” Cocking my head, I tried to puzzle her out. “I am a very scary creature.” She halted. Then she smiled. “That’s true. You are a badasss.”
I didn't care anymore what the computer said. Because Angie chose me, Angie was holding onto me, and her head was tucked into my shoulder. It felt like absolution. I basked in this until Crispin uttered a horrified, “She’s not a Gryfala.”
“I have given up everything for you—and you don’t think that I want you.”
My pulse skyrocketed when he took another step in my direction. Slowly. Purposefully. And my heart skittered when I registered that Arokh was stalking me. I was being hunted. By a giant, fire-breathing, behorned predator.
And then Arokh bit me! Okay, it was a nip—his teeth closed over my neck and pressed down just enough to make my brain recircuit. I gasped and gripped his shoulders. Then he licked his bite, and heat flooded low in my belly.
If putting people under pressure showed you their mettle, these were gems. Nothing but caring and concerned and tender. Oh, and they were badass rescuers too.
If I'd thought he was desperate before? Now Arokh was in a frenzy. And didn't that just make a girl’s toes curl? Having a guy go insane because he loved you so much he just had to rock your world. Again. Oh-so-good for the ego.
I knew Arokh was something special. If he were a human guy? I’d chain him in my basement and never let him go. Hmm. That was supposed to sound romantic, but even in my head that leaned a few rolls of duct tape too close to the creeper side.
Then she pushed her forelock out of the way and thrust her front out. “About to be near other males, right? So I know how this goes. I’m ready: lick me!” I loved this female.
More than once I heard, “She stays with me,” growled out over a woman’s protesting—and nobody could say otherwise. Women were the property of aliens here, and completely belonged to them. It was a hard thing to accept.
“Hey,” I greeted. “I’m hungry,” she complained. Beth was there too and smiled wearily as she reluctantly handed off her baby bundle to one of the guys. They each wanted turns rocking her. “Hey, Hungry,” Beth said. “I’m Tired.” “Great,” a girl named Gracie muttered. “This is like the fucked up cast of dwarves. “Meet Bitchy,” she used her thumb to tap her chest, “and Bossy,” she indicated me with a head jerk—as if I’d been bossy? I was organizing! “—and Hungry, and Weepy,” then she motioned to Beth as she continued, “and over there’s Trampy—”
Did I want to live like an alien for the rest of my life? No! It was scary and I missed home—and this was all so insane and if I went back, I could do my best to pretend this had all been a really, really bad dream. But… There was an arm at my waist, and the warmth of a strong, muscled body against my back. Holding me. Shielding me. Devoted to me. I’d gotten addicted to this affection, the adoration, the protectiveness, and the amazingness that was my alien. ...And he was mine.
“Are these groups of friends made up of males?” one of Beth’s men asked darkly. Beth smirked at him. “Nah. There’s more women than men on our planet, and the single women tend to get together to commiserate their… lack of a mate.” The air crackled. I glanced at Bitchy’s electro-boy, and thought maybe he was giving off some sort of charge. Then I noted the expressions on the alien faces around us. Disbelief, hope, greed. “There are females in need of mates?” “WHERE is this planet?”
“Your dad?” I mouthed, wide-eyed. “What’s his problem?” He sighed. “He always wanted a daughter.”
You’re irritating me and I need my hob to give me all of his attention or I could turn into Bitchy here, okay? Trust me, you do not want that.” “Hey…” Without breaking the stare down I addressed her. “Yeah?” “I think I’m starting to like you.” “Back at you.”
We sort of… well, after that, we draped ourselves around him, being lulled by his pretty purr, and the other hobs were glaring at him like he was the fucking Pied Piper of pussy.
Poor Dohrein, adopting all these females that had no interest in shagging him. “On Earth, you’d be a ‘cuddle bitch.’” “Friend-zoned,” Bitchy added.
