Branded (6 page)

Chapter
Eight

Tolcan
moved through the stalls in the
market, scanned the Rogues and humans that were buying goods, and knew he
wouldn’t find Jayce. The ones that frequented the shops were mainly human
females with their Rogue owners, or humans caring for the young. There were
also human males helping set up and break down the stalls, and although the
majority of the males were working on more labor-intensive things, such as
building structures, there were some Rogues that took on human males for their
personal uses as well.

He
moved off to the side, stood in view so he could see the main entrance where
Masters and their slaves came and went, and waited to see if any new shipment
came through. He knew what Jayce looked like, remembered his face when he’d
been trying to pull Greta away and flee the cave.

As
he stood there, taking in the sight of the slaves, how they followed their
masters, their faces downcast, the looks of anger, hatred, even hopelessness
covering their expressions, he couldn’t believe how in just a short time a
human female could make him feel differently. This had always been his world,
yet seeing the slaves, and picturing Greta like that, her hope and the light in
her eyes fading, made him feel sick. He’d had her for such a short time in his
life, yet already he thought of her as his mate, not his property, but …
his
nonetheless.

As
the time moved by he decided he’d inquire about the slaves, knowing standing
here could prove fruitless. Moving up to the stalls, he started asking them one
by one if they’d heard of the new shipment of slaves that had been captured. No
one seemed to know anything, and his senses were able to pick up on the fact
they weren’t lying.

He
went to another stall, the last one for the day because he wanted to get back
to Greta, wanted to be able to show her he’d tried, and hoped to bring her good
news. The male stood up straighter when he saw
Tolcan
come closer, took in the sight of his Enforcer’s uniform, and the scent of his
respect filled
Tolcan’s
nose.

“I’m
looking for a male, a human slave that was just acquired from the most recent
raid, a human that goes by the name of Jayce?” he asked one of the stall
owners.

“I
do not know a male of that name, but have heard Redon purchased many humans
from the recent raid, but he’s due at the shops today.” He held up a sack. “I
always save bags of
Gooba
berries for him.” The male
looked over his shoulder. “Enforcer, Sir, Redon just arrived.”

Tolcan
turned. There he saw Redon, an
older Rogue that was of a higher class, who kept harems of female humans, and
had a slew of male humans to do his labor at the estate he owned outside of the
sectors. He watched the older man and instantly spotted Jayce. Although a slave
held no value aside from what the master deemed, rarely did a master agree to
resell a slave to another Rogue.

But
there was always the
Dukka
, a male Rogue competition
for when another Rogue wanted something already owned and the master did not
want to outright sell.
If the
Dukka
was issued the owner had no choice but to fight.
It wasn’t done as
frequently here on earth, but back on their home planet it was done constantly,
especially since their resources had been dwindling.

He
watched the male named Jayce struggle with his bonds, but Redon pulled him
along harder. Trying to take the human male now, against the orders of the
Royal family, and without issuing a
Dukka
, would have
Jayce dead, and Greta taken from
Tolcan
. He couldn’t
risk it. He’d see if Redon would sell at a later date, when the purchase wasn’t
so new. If Redon wouldn’t sell then
Tolcan
would have
to issue a
Dukka
. But right now he needed to get back
to Greta, give her the news that would he hoped put her at ease slightly, and
watch as that hope filled her eyes once more.

****

He
placed his hand on the scanner at his front
door,
let
the laser move along his palm and finger, than another one moving along his
eyes for verification. The door unlocked, and as soon as he stepped inside he
saw Greta standing there, her hands in front of her, twisting together, and the
worry and anticipation clear.

For
a moment all he did was stand there, staring at her, seeing the hope in her
face, and knowing that he wouldn’t have the news she’d probably prayed to her
God or gods about. But he’d tell her what she needed to hear, and he hoped to
be able to give her what she wanted, because a part of him wanted her happy,
wanted her looking at him like a male that could give her what she wanted and
needed. He wanted to be that male that Greta looked up to when she knew
something needed to be taken care of.

“Did
you find him?” she asked softly, hesitantly.

He
stepped inside, the door sliding shut and locking behind him. “I found where he
is, saw him even, but didn’t actually make contact.” He moved closer to her,
was pleased she didn’t shy away, and inhaled deeply. She smelled clean, fresh,
sweet. “But he is owned by a particularly wealthy Rogue, one that will probably
not sell what he’s purchased.”

She
clenched her jaw, her anger coming forth. “No one has the right to own anyone,
least of all your people that came to our planet,” she huffed out, turning from
him, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her forward.

Things
had changed in him when he was around her. He did notice he was the same
hardened male when he was away from her, knowing he had to be the rough
Enforcer that everyone feared. But then
Tolcan
came
home, saw her, and something in him melted. He didn’t know why he felt his way,
but he didn’t question it. He embraced it.

“Our
lives shouldn’t be held in fear, worry, and in hiding,” she said softly, and he
couldn’t help himself. He moved toward her, grabbed her thin arm, and turned
her around. She’d filled out a little since being in his home and eating the
high protein meals he gave her, but she was still so small. She looked up at
him, her fear no more, at least for this moment. Her pulse started moving
faster, and the scent of her perspiration was a light, almost sweet fragrance
in the air.

“Your
life matters to me,” he said in a deep, hard voice. “You matter to me.”

Her
breathing picked up, her pupils dilated, and the scent of her desire climbed.
She was fighting her desire for him, but she was losing the battle. He scented
that realization in her.

“I
don’t understand what’s going on,” she said, but he knew she was well aware of
the situation. What he knew what she was referring to was the desire she had
for him. “I shouldn’t want this, shouldn’t want any of this,
Tolcan
.”

He
loved hearing her say his name, loved that she wanted to fight it, fight him,
but that it was a losing battle. “You understand what’s going on.” He pulled
her closer. “You just don’t want to accept it.”
Tolcan
looked at her lips again, mesmerized by the bow-like appearance, the pink color
… transfixed by everything about her.

“This
is wrong,” she said in a breathless voice.

“No,
it’s not.” He walked them backward until they were now in the cooking area, the
counter stopping her.

“Am
I the first human female you’ve taken? Or do you have a harem stashed somewhere
in this home?” He could tell by her voice that she wasn’t trying to fight with
him, or tempt his anger. She was truly curious.

“You
are the first female, Rogue or human, I have ever wanted as my own.” He pressed
his body more firmly to hers.
“And the last.”

She
licked her bottom lip again, a nervous habit he was noticing with her. He
watched her run her tongue along the swell of her bottom lip, and his cock,
which had gotten instantly hard when he saw her standing there waiting for him,
grew harder still.

“You’ll
really try and help Jayce?”

He
waited a moment before answering. “Will that make you happy if I can get him
his freedom?” He didn’t been know if that was something he could do, but he
realized he wanted to see that hope back on her face, wanted her looking at him
with adoration because he made something she wanted possible.

She
nodded. “Yes, it would.”

“Would
you really trust me if I could show you I truly am only trying to make you
happy?”

She
nodded again. “It would help, yes.”

“But
Greta,” he said low.

“Yes?”
she said and swallowed, her slender throat working from the act.

“Just
because I will try to help your friend doesn’t mean I’ll let you go when and if
it’s done.”

There
was a moment of silence. “I know. If even one person from my camp is free I’d
gladly stay here, and be in your debt.” She swallowed again. “I wouldn’t fight
you,
Tolcan
.”

His
cock throbbed again, jerked behind his pants, and he knew he had to sample this
female, his female.
“When I first saw you something in me
awoke.
You were there for the taking, sweet Greta, all there for just
me, and I wouldn’t let anyone else have you, not even freedom.”

She
gasped, maybe from his blunt honesty.

“I
saw something special in you, something that called to me, had me feeling
alive. I’ve never felt anything like that, and I knew I couldn’t ignore it.” He
smoothed his finger over her bottom lip. “There wasn’t anyone or anything that
would stop me from what I wanted, and what I wanted was you.” She didn’t
respond for several seconds. “Does that frighten you more?” He could scent her
emotions, but he wanted her to verbally answer him. Normally he wouldn’t have
cared what a female thought, or anyone for that matter. That was the way of the
world, of his world. But Greta was different from the others. Yes, he owned her
by the laws of the Rogues, but he didn’t want a piece of property. He wanted
her to be his willingly.

“It
does,” she said low, soft. She gripped the edge of her shirt, and he knew she
was nervous, but not resistant. If he knew giving into a simple desire had her
trusting him a bit more, giving in a little more. He started breathing harder
the longer he stared at her, the more he breathed in her scent. He wanted her,
that was undeniable, and he didn’t try to lie about that fact.

“I’m
so confused,” she said and looked at his mouth, and then back at his face.

“Trust
me to take care of you. Trust me to make things right and good with you.” Gods,
he felt like another male, like someone else occupied his body. But he didn’t
care, because Greta made him feel so alive, made him feel so whole even. He had
her up in his arms seconds later, and set her on the counter.

He
took a step forward, parting her thighs even farther. He placed both hands on
the counter and leaned in until there was only an inch separating their mouths.

“
Tolcan
…” she said with a hint of fear in her voice.

“The
sooner you realize that you’re mine, the easier this will be.” He didn’t mean
to sound coarse or harsh, but the fact was he couldn’t help who he was, the
male that was ingrained in him. He lowered his gaze to her chest, saw her
breasts rise and fall violently over the top of her shirt, and looked back at
her face. “Admittedly, I like the fight in you, and love the chase, but I also
get hard, desire and crave your surrender, not because you’re forced, but
because you’re eager to give it to me.”

A
small noise left her.

“Do
you want to give yourself to me right now?”

It
took her a second to answer, but she finally nodded. “Yes, and that frightens
me.”

“If
I slipped my hand between your thighs would your pussy be wet for me?”

She
parted her lips but didn’t say anything.

“You
hate this, hate your desire for me, but you also crave it as much as I do.”

She
still didn’t respond.

He
moved his fingers to her waistband, slipped his hand down the pants, and moved
his fingers down her inner leg, right beside her pussy. He felt the heat from
her cunt instantly. Pulling her leg even farther out with his free hand, he
used his other hand to touch her pussy lips
lightly,
loving that she wore nothing to obstruct him from this. He spread his fingers
through her wet, soaked even, slit, and grunted.

“Yeah,
you want this, my little female, and I want you to tell me, so I can ease both
of our needs.”

“God
help me, but I do want this.”

And
that was all he needed to hear to get this started.

Chapter
Nine

This
is insane.
You are insane.

Greta
couldn’t help thinking that over and over in her head, disgusted with herself
and this man, but unable to deny that she did want this Rogue male. He didn’t
have to help her find Jayce.
Tolcan
didn’t need to
give Jayce a semblance of freedom in this screwed up world. But he had, and
although he could be lying, she knew he wasn’t.

She
may not have the heightened senses a Rogue did, not able to tell if they were
lying by scent alone, but she also knew a male like him, and Rogue for that
matter, wouldn’t have cared enough to lie to a human. They didn’t care if a
human was happy, didn’t care if they hoped for something. But
Tolcan
tried to make her happy, told her he would help her
find Jayce, and that part she tried to hide had her warming to him faster. She
was aroused, desired him. That was no lie. But right now she was allowing
herself to feel it.

He
was such a beautiful devil, tempting her darkest desires, the ones she didn’t
want to admit. She’d only been here for such a short time, but yet she felt
this electricity, this darkness, wrongness she should feel, coming closer to
the surface.

She
was his prisoner, his captive.

Just give myself this, give into
him. He hasn’t hurt me, touched me since I’ve been here. And he’s going to help
Jayce, for starters. He was different than other Rogues I’ve seen, heard about.

“You’re
so beautiful, so soft and warm, so wet and mine.” It was as if he was talking
to himself for how low he spoke. “You’re so different from any other female
I’ve seen, Greta.” He removed his hand from between her legs, and she sagged in
relief, or maybe it was disappointment? But he didn’t move away from her.

He
slid his hand up her arm, over her bare shoulder, and wrapped his fingers
around the column of her neck. He wasn’t applying pressure, but the heavy
weight of his palm let her know that he could hurt her at any second. Maybe he
was doing this because even if he was gentler with her, and seemed different
with her, he was still very much an alien to her. His species was brutal, large
and muscular, and could easily crush humans as if nothing more than an annoying
bug.

He
leaned in until she felt his lips along her jaw. She squeezed her eyes shut,
the desire for him and the need to push him away, to keep her humanity intact,
moving parallel with each other. She shouldn’t like the way it felt when he
moved his mouth along her neck, or stroked her skin with his tongue, but God,
it felt so good.

Tolcan
moved his mouth to her ear and
whispered, “It is just you and me here, my female.” His breath was hot along
her neck. “I want to pleasure you, to make you feel good.”

She
shivered in response, unable to help herself.

He
leaned back until he was looking at her. “I don’t care that I’m a Rogue and
you’re human,” he said with conviction. “I should care how you came to be here,
and I should care that the reason is because I took you.” He moved an inch
closer, his erection prodding her belly. “But I’d be lying if I said having you
here, smelling you, feeling your warmth, knowing you’re mine, doesn’t make me
happy, Greta.” They gazed at each other for a moment, neither speaking, but
their breathing loud.

Greta
felt like a traitor, like she was going against what she’d been taught, told
about the Rogues. She should hate them for what they did to her kind, and she did,
but it was clear
Tolcan
was different. He treated her
as if she meant something to him, not like a piece of property.

“I
might have taken you against your will, and kept you here knowing you want to
leave, but I know a part of you realizes that I am not going to hurt you,
Greta. A part of you realizes being with me is better than the alternative.” He
smoothed a finger along her cheek. “I want you to tell me you want this, and
admit it to me out loud.”

“I…”
God, was she really going to give in … this easily? “I do feel something,
Tolcan
—”

Then
his mouth on hers and his tongue speared between her lips. When he pressed his
tongue against hers, he groaned and tightened his hold on her neck. He tasted
potent, powerful.

“Be
mine, Greta,” he groaned against her mouth. “I’ll be your servant, my female,
give you everything you want, need, but I want your surrender.”

She
was surprised to hear these things from this male, but she’d be lying if she
said it didn’t have this warmth filling her.

“Obey
me and I’ll be yours only, Greta. No other female will ever compare, will ever
tempt me. You’ll be it for me.”

“This
isn’t happening,” she said almost to herself, thinking out loud.

“Never
deny me and I’ll give you the world.” He spoke between nips and licks. He moved
his thumb along the pulse right below her ear. He gently bit her lip, and a
gasp left her.

Greta
flattened her hands on his chest, not knowing if she should push him away or
bring him closer. His muscles were firm beneath her palms.
Tolcan
was strong. God, he was so strong. He growled and reached out far too quickly
for her to comprehend, wrapped his hand around both of her wrists, and yanked
her off the counter. Seconds later, he had her turned around. With his hand on
the center of her back, he pushed her forward until her belly was flat against
the cold, hard, and unforgiving counter. She felt her heart in her throat,
heard it in her ears, and felt herself grow wetter. Everything was happening so
fast.

He
ground his erection, which felt huge, against her bottom. She closed her eyes,
her throat dry, tight, and held in her moan of pleasure. This felt good, so
good, but so, so wrong. She should fight him, not stop until she wasn’t
breathing, but she couldn’t find that strength.

He
placed his hands on either side of her outer thighs, and slowly moved them up.
Kneeling behind her, he gripped the edge of her pants, pulled them down, and
she found herself looking over her shoulder at him. His hands were warm, big,
and slightly calloused. And the humid feeling of his breath and of his forehead
resting against her lower back sent sensations coursing through her.

When
the chilled air moved along her exposed bottom, her tears started falling
harder, her emotions getting the better of her.

“No
tears, Greta,” he said in that deep, accented voice of his. She may speak his
language because of the translator he put in her neck, but she still heard the
thick accent of where he originally came from. “Just trust me,” he said. She
knew she had no choice, but that if he really was this monster he would have
taken her against her will that first night she was here. All he did, all he’d
been trying to do was let her see he wasn’t like the others.

She
felt herself nod.

He
groaned. “I can smell you, Greta, smell your arousal, your need for me to give
you this.” His words were low and deep, and she squeezed her eyes shut. “Your
arousal coating my fingers makes my dick throb to be buried inside of you. You
are so wet, so wet for
me
.”

“I’m
a virgin,” she said on a breath.

He
squeezed his fingers on her outer thighs. “I
know,
my
female. I’ll not take you tonight, not force this so quickly. But I will make
you feel good.” He added a minimal amount of pressure to her lower back with
his hand, and growled low in his throat like some kind of feral animal. “I’ll
make this good for you, gentle.”

She
could only pant.

“You’re
a virgin, and I don’t want to cause any unnecessary pain, at least not the kind
that you couldn’t climax from.”

She
held her breath. The wickedness of his words and this situation had her on the
verge of passing out.

He
moved his lips over the top of her ass and took hold of each of her cheeks in
his big hands. When he spread them and the cool air moved along the crease of
her bottom she let out the breath she’d been holding. She turned back around
and rested her forehead on the cold, hard counter. He groaned, and she knew he
was staring at the area he had exposed.

“You’re
so wet for me.” He speared a finger through her slit, and she bit her lip.
Tolcan
brought his hand down on her ass cheek so hard that
she gasped out from the pain, but immediately made a sound in her throat as
pleasure and heat encompassed her. “Your body craves this.” He rubbed her
between her legs again. “See, you got even wetter from my hand on your ass,
from the pain and pleasure. You hate this, but you fucking love it.”

At
the first touch of his tongue on her pussy, she cried out and tried to
straighten up, but he gripped her waist in a bruising hold and pushed her up
the counter until the tips of her toes barely touched the floor. And that was
when he feasted on her like he was starving. He licked up the center of her,
dug his fingers into her flesh until she cried out from the pain before sobbing
harder because pleasure followed soon after.

You like this. You really like
this, and it scares the hell out of you.

He
was making her feel good, and she didn’t want that.

“
Tolcan
…” She breathed out his name.

He
groaned against her soaked flesh, and sparks of pleasure cascaded inside of
her, consumed her.

“Oh, God.”
She flattened her hands on the
counter, and when she tried to move away from his wickedly abusive mouth, all
she ended up doing was pushing her ass in the air. It caused her pussy to grind
more firmly into his mouth.
Tolcan’s
hold on her was
painful, but what he was doing with his mouth between her legs felt so
good
, and the pain and pleasure coalesced into one. She
hated herself at that moment for being so weak and for actually enjoying this.

He
moved his head and sucked her clit into the hot, wet depths of his mouth, and
that was the end of it. The depraved side of her got off for this male, this
alien that was showing her she could enjoy this, embrace it … come for him. He
sucked even harder, and her breath hitched, but he wasn’t done with her it
seemed.

“Tonight
is about pleasing
you
, my female. You already crave my
touch, my mouth ... eventually you’ll want my cock.” He sucked on her harder.
“You’ll look upon me as the only one that can ease your need.” He ran his teeth
along her labia, and a gasp left her at the sensitivity of it. “And you do have
a need, the same as I do. You are perfect for me, made for me, Greta.”

He
pushed her legs out more, stood behind her, and before she could contemplate
what was happening he easily twisted her on the counter until she was now flat
on her back. He had both of her wrists in one of his hands, thrust above her
head, bent down between her thighs, and had his mouth back on her pussy.

He
was relentless as he rubbed her clit. “My sweet, sweet female, your reluctance
only makes me want you more, and that is saying something monumental since I
want you very fucking badly as it is.” He moved that thick digit around the
opening of her body, not penetrating her, but promising that he could take her
right then with little effort. “You have me craving more, raging for you,
Greta.” He started to penetrate her with his finger. His hands kept her pinned
down, and his mouth and finger made her a slave to his desires. He was
relentless as he flicked his tongue back and forth over her clit, but he only
pressed his finger into her partially. “I can feel you getting wetter.”

The
sound of his voice made vibrations on her clit, and she bit her lip. Why did
she have to be aroused? Why did his forcefulness and demands make her body feel
like a fire had been lit from the inside out?

“This
confuses me,” she whispered,
moaned,
her pleasure
mounting. He hummed against her and sucked especially hard on the little nub
until she came for a second time.
Tolcan
was
relentless in his onslaught, and she knew he groaned not only at her surrender,
but because she had tried to fight him and failed.

He
had her in his arms seconds later, and just held her. The soft, almost
affectionate stroking of his hand up and down the back of her head was
soothing. Greta didn’t want to feel anything but hatred for this monster,
didn’t want to press her face to his chest and breathe in the dark, spicy scent
of him. And she especially didn’t want to feel safe and sated in his arms
because none of this was right or sane.

However,
Greta didn’t push him away. Instead, she let him carry her. His physical
strength scared her, his species horrified her, and the fact he could look at
her and see right into her soul petrified her. But even after all of that,
thinking about what she’d just done, she knew that she could have a life where
she didn’t fear. This male could help
her,
let her
live, and save Jayce and her family. She just needed to keep her mind open, her
emotions in check, and try to live this life.