Branded (4 page)

Or
at least she had been with people she cared for.

Staring
at her eyes, the one blue and one green, she remembered she’d always had others
point out the uniqueness of them, some even warning her that if the Rogues ever
got her they might use the anomaly of dual eye colors for their experimenting.
Although she’d never heard of Rogues experimenting on humans, not during her
lifetime, she was still wary of standing out, and being noticed.

God,
where had Jayce gone? She knew he hadn’t escaped because she’d watched him get
shot with the stun gun, and once that
happened
it was
lights out. She had now experienced that firsthand. Smoothing a finger over the
splattering of light freckles over her cheekbones, she wished she’d done things
differently, wished she’d been able to hold onto Jayce a little longer. She may
not have been in love with him, and have only seen him as a friend, but she’d
loved him with all her heart. He was a good man, a strong and protective one,
and now she knew she’d never see him again.

Closing
her eyes and breathing heavily, she told herself she needed to be strong.
Escaping might have been the brave thing to do, but it was also the stupidest.
Until she saw what the outside even looked like, and if there was even a chance
she could escape, she needed to stay alive. That was her ultimate goal. Dying
at the hands of the Rogues wasn’t going to be in her future. She promised
herself that.

Chapter
Five

She’d
been in the bathing chamber for far longer than he liked, and although
Tolcan
had told her to take her time, he wanted her near
him. It was illogical for him to desire a female like this, so strongly, so
intensely that he was acting out of character. Maybe he was so aroused for her
he just wanted between her
thighs,
sampling that pussy
he knew would be better than anything he’d ever had? No, he knew that wasn’t
even the truth, even if it passed through his mind.

This
wasn’t about sex, not even the interspecies sexual activity seen by some Rogues
as taboo, which was ridiculous seeing as the majority of his species practiced
sex with humans, kept them as concubines, and they used humans to help
propagate their kind. But
Tolcan
supposed there were
always the fanatics within any species.

Scrubbing
a hand over his face, he brought the alcohol to his mouth and took a long pull
from the glass. The alcohol was aged one hundred and fifty years, came from his
home planet, and helped a Rogue relax when the Posh didn’t help. In this
instance the Posh was really not helping. He had taken temporary control and
possession of Greta, the Royals giving him a short time to decide if this was
what he wanted, to take this human as a concubine. There was no other option
for him, in regards to claiming her, so having her as a “concubine” was the
only title he was allowed to have with Greta.

But
Tolcan
knew this wasn’t about owning her, not in the
sense that his kind owned and controlled humans. Oh, he wanted to own her, but
not as a possession. No,
Tolcan’s
sexual desires had
always leaned down the sadistic route, had always been about dominance over the
female, no matter what species she was. Greta seemed vulnerable, innocent, and
he doubted she even knew much about the kind of sexual appetites his kind
harbored, or could handle what he wanted to do with her.
Tolcan’s
desire ran a little deeper, a little darker. He was a warrior, an Enforcer,
after all, and he had energy, steam and power to burn off. He wanted Greta to
help him rid himself of that need, to sate him in all things, and in return
he’d care for her and protect her.

The
sound of an incoming video message alerted him, drawing him out of his
thoughts.
Tolcan
turned toward the screen in the
living room, watched as it turned on, and stared at one of the Royal’s council
members that dealt with controlling the breeding stock of humans, and the
concubines given out to warriors. They wouldn’t deny
Tolcan
what he wanted, wouldn’t dare deny him what he desired. He knew that.

“Warrior
Tolcan
,” Head Councilmember
Henner
said.

“Yes,
Head Council
Henner
?”
Tolcan
said and stood straighter, the warrior in him coming out, the trained male that
was taught to be on alert, to show no fear, and to always be apathetic because
emotion equaled weakness.

“You’ve
put a request to take a human female as your concubine,”
Henner
said while looking down at
Tolcan
. “This is most
unusual, Warrior
Tolcan
, as you’ve never shown an
interest in the lesser species. There are many Rogue females that would be very
eager to have you claim them, but not many would accept having such a highly
trained and powerful male as a mate that also keeps a human pet.”

Tolcan
didn’t respond, although he knew
this was coming. Putting in the request just hours ago to keep Greta here as
his would have raised attention. He’d never shown interest in claiming a woman,
not when his life had been about his people, war, and protecting them.

“I
saw her, and I want her,” was all he said.

Henner
didn’t respond right away, but
then nodded.

“I
will indulge you in this request, but know when you’re finished lying with the
human she is to be brought to the breeding compound.”

“I
may keep her for far longer than she stays fertile,”
Tolcan
said. Many Rogues kept females as sexual pets until the age of their breeding
had passed. And then they were shipped to female labor camps. Barbaric, yes,
but they were alive, and most of the time they were reunited with family after
the fact.

“Warrior
Tolcan
, you realize that you are of prime procreation
age. If you wish to help the cause and our people, you can use a breeder to
strengthen the army, or take on a Rogue female as a mate, and prolong your
lineage.” There was a moment of silence. “Keeping a pet without any indication
that you are to use her as a breeder, or take on a mate, worries me.”

“I
have never been a worry to the Rogues, and have given my most for our people.
If I choose to have a human female for an undetermined about of time, then I
don’t see what the issue is.” Inside
Tolcan
was
sweating, his hearts beating, his lungs burning. He was trying to act like this
was nothing of
concern, that
Greta meant nothing more
than something for him to stick his dick in, but the truth was there was
something in him that didn’t want to think about another female. It was a
strange sensation to have these feelings for a fragile human that he’d known
less than a day, but it was there, and he wouldn’t let it go.

“You
have temporary possession of the human, but your file and request still have to
be reviewed by the Royals before a permanent decision is made.”

“Thank
you, Sir,”
Tolcan
said, knowing they wouldn’t deny
his request, but that they may put stipulations on the case as he was a high
ranking warrior. They’d want him to breed, to produce more warriors, and he
didn’t even want to think about bedding with another female, not when he hadn’t
even been with the one he wanted.

****

Greta
stood in the hallway, listened to the rest of
Tolcan’s
conversation, and swore her heart was going to beat right out of her chest. She
knew he wanted her here, and although she wasn’t such a fool to think he
wouldn’t use her body, she prayed that maybe she’d be used for labor in his
home.
But of course that was dumb and naïve to think.
She knew better, knew he’d take from her because he could, use her body to
pleasure himself, and she wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Leaning
over the edge slightly she stared at him. His back was to her, broad, strong,
powerful. He was easily over three hundred pounds of raw muscle, his seven-foot
height dwarfing her five-foot-seven stature. He wore dark pants, dark boots,
and a matching black short-sleeved shirt. God, he was dark from head to toe,
even his hair the color of night.

She
glanced around the room, taking in anything that could be used as a weapon when
the time came, but to her disappointment there wasn’t anything she noticed
right away. He had furniture, had a small table beside the long bench, and a
screen through which he’d been speaking, but there weren’t any smaller objects
she could use in defense.

She
may have lived from cave to cave her whole life, not able to have the comforts
these aliens did, but she’d seen pictures in old books and magazines they’d
found that showed a time before. There had been smiling families, ones sitting
around a table with a large, delicious meal in front of them. Or they played
outside, the mother and father grinning as their children kicked a ball around.
It looked peaceful, happy, but even though she knew the world hadn’t been
perfect back then either, it was a far cry better than what it was like today.

Staring
at the cooking area again, she saw there were no items that could be used as a
weapon, none she could see right off anyway.

“There
are no weapons, female,”
Tolcan
said in a deep voice.

She
snapped her head his way, saw his back was still to her, and reminded herself
these creatures were far superior to her kind. She didn’t know all their
powers, just what they chose to show everyone. Could they read her mind, see
through walls, hear, smell,
feel
her
fear?

He
turned around then, his light blue-white eyes watching her life a predator
about to pounce. “I made sure there is nothing within reach you could use to
hurt yourself with.”

Hurt myself with?

“I
wouldn’t use it to harm myself,” she said, telling herself portraying strength
was what she needed right now. She moved out from behind the wall and held her
head up.

When
he lowered his gaze to her chest, she felt compelled to cover up, but what
stopped her was the way he lifted a dark
brow
and
smirked as if she appeared funny in what he gave her to wear. “You did not
think to question why I’d give you clothing to wear that was cut in the middle,
showing your assets to any who walked by?” He sounded hard now, annoyed almost.

She
looked down to her chest, could see the rise of her breasts through the V cut
of the material, and covered herself. “How am I supposed to know what your
barbaric kind wants humans to wear? I’ve heard the stories, of humans being
breeders, or worse.”

He
moved closer and stopped when he was a foot from her. She didn’t want to move,
and didn’t want to show fear. He reached out, and going against what she’d just
told herself she took a step back, afraid he’d hit her. But when he cupped the
side of her face she froze. He stared down at her, and she had to crane her
neck back just to look at him. Greta swore she felt like he could see into her,
and take every little piece of her body and soul away until she was nothing.

When
he started rubbing his thumb along her cheek, she felt dizzy, like his touch
was causing this war inside of her and she couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“What
are you doing?” she asked softly, fearing what he’d say.

“Human
skin is much softer than a Rogue’s, more delicate,
fragile
.
It is like very fine paper, easily able to be torn if not taken care of.”

Oh God.
Was he going to skin her or
something?

“What
do you really plan on doing with me?” She was afraid of what he’d
say,
afraid she might
like
what he said. Yes, she felt like a sick person for seeing anything arousing
about him. But there was no denying he was so strong, so virile and masculine,
that she felt her body heat
on its own
. She hated it,
hated that her body was at war with her mind, that she couldn’t stop the way
she tingled in places that should be cold for this male.

He
took his hand away, and Greta felt her stomach jump in her throat. “I told
you…”

“No,
you didn’t. You just said I’m yours.” She swallowed, afraid to proceed. “I want
to know what you plan to do with me. Why didn’t you turn me over to have them
breed me like some kind of baby factory?” God, just thinking about that had
Greta’s stomach twisting and her entire body
rebelling.
Yes, she’d heard part of the conversation he’d had, but she wanted to know why
this Rogue warrior that could crush her in his hands, would want anything to do
with her. As it was he’d brought her back to his home, and treated her as
an
… equal. Surely he had ulterior motives.

“Why
have I brought you here?” he asked, but there was this feeling inside of her
that told Greta he wasn’t really asking. “I’ve brought you here because I want
you for my own.” He took a step closer, and she took one back. “I brought you
here because if you’re going to be anyone’s breeder you’re going to be mine.”

Oh. My.
God.