Hawk's Prey (3 page)

Instead they simply waited for the convict to return. They did too. Battered and half crazed from dehydration and other horrors. The Hunters would place them on public display before shipping them off to a work colony. It was a fact that the Hunters enjoyed being able to place returned convicts in the work colonies, it kept the other convicts neatly in their barracks. Still, convicts like her brother listened to the rumors and dreamed of freedom. They fueled their hopes with false pride, telling themselves that they would be strong enough to make it.

Tova was content to linger in the few enjoyments her life yielded. It was the truth that her life had changed little. She labored each day to hold off starvation, just as she had in her birth sphere. Rishan made demands of her and her father cursed her for being born a daughter, just as he always had. But there was one thing that was better. She was no longer struck when the males in her family gave in to their rage. Here among their Hunter guards, their violence would meet with swift judgment. Tova considered her blue wristbands and smiled. There was good in all things, even imprisonment.

Still, nothing was free. Her nipples were still sensitive. Just a lingering awareness now, but as she moved and the evening air carried away the heat from the day, she felt her robe brushing across her bare skin. It was a thing she wasn’t accustomed to noticing. Frustration chewed on her clit as her memory insisted on displaying the Hunter’s image to her. She recalled little details about him. Her nipples tingled slightly as she lingered in her memory of just how wide his shoulders were. His eyes appealed to her as well, they were keen and quick to absorb details. The heat moving through her surprised her, but she enjoyed it too. For the first time, the idea of letting a male touch her excited her.

It was his comforting touch that caused her to think about him. Tova looked at her hand and the slight swelling marking her limb. He had hurt her but what held his memory in her attention was the fact that he had applied care to the injury. The few times it had happened to her in the past, the Hunters had left her to deal with the discomfort alone. It wasn’t necessary to treat, only to remember to stand still around the highly trained guards. She knew so, had listened to the stories of those who had made the mistake of attempting to resist inspections. Non-compliance met with swift applications of Hunter strength. Their bodies grew larger than civilian males and were honed just like weapons. It was simple to see them because they stood a good foot taller than the convicts. Thick muscle covered their bodies making their chests wide and imposing.

Truly, she was astonished to discover the Hunter had indeed been able to control his strength. That was not a trait she had considered you might find in a Hunter. Even their chosen mates were often submissive to the point of pity. She had never seen one, only heard about the practice of capturing females who became the property of the Hunter. The women were lawbreakers and yet it still seemed harsh that their bodies became toys for males who called them Trophy.

Her nipples tingled again as she considered being played with. Tova pressed her hands over her breasts and delight spread through her nipples. Heat pooled in her belly as she felt the touch of fluid on the top of her bare thighs. She hissed as she rubbed her hands over her breasts, attempting to banish the sensation. An image of strong Hunter hands touching her tender breasts filled her cheeks with heat as she felt her clit flicker with more lust. The betrayal of her body continued in spite of her mental warning to forget that Hunter.

She could not spread for a Hunter! He would bend her body to his whim. Take what he craved and leave her marked with the stain of her shame. Even a female who spread for money was considered more respectable than one who allowed her body to be penetrated by a Hunter just for the pleasure of coupling. Unless it was for some tangible thing, a Hunter was not acceptable as a lover. Tova felt two tears sting her eyes—she would not earn her things by spreading. Too many of the non-convict women did so and their eyes grew old before their faces wrinkled. The spirit died and Tova wouldn’t give up her life for comfort. But her pussy was hot for the Hunter. Desire to spread for him clawed at her, leaving her struggling with her principles. She wouldn’t lie either. Not even to cover up her lust for a Hunter. That left her with a craving that might drive her half mad because she wasn’t going to feed it.

“Where is my dinner? You lazy bitch!” Rishan bellowed from outside.

Tova closed her mind to his insults as she began to fill a bowl with the stew she had made. She was not lazy. Rishan might say she was but she would never listen to his surly words. She would bathe when she pleased as well. That was one ration neither male might take from her. Whenever water was used, each occupant’s wristbands transmitted their identity. Rishan could not draw her water allotment with his own hands, he would have to demand she do it and hand the precious fluid over to him. But he risked the record being viewed if she were inspected, so he tried to get her to offer the water to him.

Tova smiled as she enjoyed the feeling of clean skin. It was a comfort she treasured. She would not be giving her water to Rishan for his purposes. She refused to think about what he did with the water he managed to collect from their sire. In truth, she was better off not thinking about Rishan’s actions at all. He was a confessed convict and a non-penitent one too. Greed shone bright in his eyes. Tova was convinced it would bring him to further ruin. Still, she was not willing to leave, so she would keep the living space for him and not poke her nose into his affairs. She contented herself with the firm belief that life would be no easier for her in a peaceful sphere. Life was hard. It was a simple fact that made it possible to be content with her lot.

Enduring lust was simply today’s discomfort…nothing more.

Chapter Two

The afternoon heat was worse today. Tova longed for a drink as she rested her burden on a tree stump. Her assigned duty was garment production. She had to construct the items from the materials given her before returning the completed garments. Every bit of cloth was counted upon return and her rations cut if she was careless enough to lose anything. It was a humble duty but still better than earning her keep by spreading. Some females who could not prove any useful skill were assigned to comfort duty. They catered to the Hunters, easing every ache in their bodies from sore muscles to stiff cocks.

Hefting her bundle onto her hip again, she moved back into the sun. Everyone worked or they were exiled to a work colony. It was a just system, food did not simply appear, it had to be grown. No one should eat if they did not work. The law-abiding should not have to fear the greed of the lawless. She understood and faced her life knowing that it was fair. In the past things had not been balanced, the powerful had been gluttons while the poor suffered. She had studied those times and was happy to live in the current one.

“You’re early, Tova.” Alana smiled at her as Tova placed her bundle on the inspection table. The girl’s grin faded as she considered Tova.

“Did that bastard brother make you work all night?”

Tova smiled and shrugged but Alana frowned at her. She crossed her arms across her chest. “Save it, Tova! You’ve dark circles around your eyes. You did not sleep much last night.”

“My mind was busy, so I let my hands be as well. There is no point in lying in bed when you cannot sleep.”

“Ah, so true.” Alana began to sort out the completed garments as she clicked her tongue.

Tova leaned against the wall as her sleepless night weighed on her shoulders. She was weary and Alana was correct. She had worked most of the night but not at anyone’s command. Sleep had never been so unwelcoming before. Each time she closed her eyes, she slipped into a slumber filled with simmering lust and the dark eyes of a Hunter. She found him strangely attractive. In one brief encounter she had decided he was…handsome. It was not that she found his face pleasing to look upon, it was something about his eyes that drew her interest. There was more strength in his gaze than she had ever witnessed and it lingered in her memory, teasing her with the forbidden image of allowing him to touch her as she touched him in return.

“I confess that I am glad you did come in today.” Alana paused in her stacking. Her eyes simmered with excitement as she showed off every tooth in her head. “You have been offered duty at food preparation.”

Alana chuckled with delight as she went back to work. Tova grinned as well because the offer was a privilege, one coveted among non-convict females. Behind the sealed doors of the ration-processing center were duties that needed knives to complete. Weapons were strictly controlled in the penal sphere. But the thing that made her grin at the idea of laboring in the station was the freedom it would grant her from Rishan and his endless ideas of what she should do with her body. She would report for her duty each dawn. Rishan would have no authority over her until she returned at dusk.

Alana slapped the tabletop as she finished her counting. Her fingers tapped against a control panel before she turned to grin at Tova again. “I see your new duty pleases you. You are assigned for two work rotations to see if the supervisor likes you. So get some sleep tonight or you’ll be dismissed for moving too slowly.”

“I shall not!” Tova clasped hands with Alana before turning to exit her office. Another person waited outside the office door for their turn. She hummed an old tune that her harsh life had almost erased from her memory as she left. Fourteen days of not being under Rishan’s grumpy dictation! She would move quickly for certain! The turn in luck was welcome. Maybe her lust would vanish as well or at least settle on a male more suited to her. She looked at the men passing her, attempting to find one who sparked interest in her. Her clit had been sensitive all night long. She was no child who did not know the meaning of such feelings but her eyes didn’t settle on any of the males passing. That left her disappointed. She firmly kept her eyes away from the Hunters on patrol. If it was a lover she sought, she would not be looking at any of the black-clad guards. Frustration chewed at her as she felt her nipples tingle in want of a touch. It certainly was time for a change in her luck. A new duty sounded like a good place to begin.

* * * * *

“Dung licking stub cock.”

Hawk glared at his partner. Janus gripped his own crotch and grinned at the bulge filling out his black uniform. Hawk growled at him because he knew Janus’ cock wasn’t a stub, but he was tempted to remedy that fact.

“She’s a good choice and you know it.” Janus stepped closer to the wall and peered down at the woman working in the Hunters’ food preparation area. He nodded his head as he dropped all amusement to glare at Hawk. “She’s chaste, which means she won’t be slipping into the hallway to fuck half the garrison while trying to con them out of contraband. Some efficiency around here will be nice for a change.” So would a chance to watch Hawk squirm instead of the other way around. Janus kept his expression calm but he was enjoying the moment quite a bit. Besides, he shared Hawk’s interest in Tova. There was no way to ignore it because they were linked.

“You can thank me later.” Janus lost his amused expression as he aimed a hard look at Hawk. “I like her too and that’s your fault. So she’s here. Court her too slow and I’ll just have to show you how it’s done.”

Hawk rolled his eyes but he returned his attention to Tova. Janus chuckled before leaving him alone to observe her. The details of her inspection remained lodged in his thoughts. Those same facts were what brought the female under his command today. Janus had access to every inspection Hawk did—they shared the information. Food preparation was their command and Janus did have a valid point. Hawk saw the value in a chaste non-convict as well.

Tova was perfect for the position despite his own issues with her. Her scent lingered in his senses as he watched her move around her table below him. His cock twitched as he slid his eyes over the curves of her hips. Her brown hair was completely covered to keep the food area sterile but he remembered its luster clearly. Her chaste condition beckoned like a prize for some reason. Hawk ground his teeth together as his cock stiffened. He was no junior Hunter prone to erections at the first sight of a female. It should have been within his control to ignore Tova as just another inspection.

But she intrigued him. There were few females who refused to spread at her age. Most succumbed to their natural mating need, especially in the penal sphere. The scent of her arousal had teased his nose yesterday and his cock jerked at the memory. Tova didn’t lack a healthy mating need. That idea taunted him with the challenge of gaining her submission.

He should dismiss the idea. Slam his fist into Janus’ face and make sure Tova was dismissed. But the soft sound of her voice stopped him. Tova was humming as she worked, the carefree tune rising from her lips like a spring breeze. Her voice was rich with the promise of life. It taunted him with how bleak his life dedicated to duty had become. It had been a long time since he’d whistled a tune just because it was on his mind.

Maybe he should back her up against the wall, see what she tasted like before she could run away once she discovered she was working under his command. Finger her little nipples just so that he’d know what they felt like, instead of just what they looked like poking at her robe.

A slow grin worked its way onto his face as Hawk caught the bounce of her breasts. Tova wouldn’t like the facts of their current relationship any more than he currently did and that made his cock burn with need. The desire to corner her grew as he considered the resistance she’d showed him yesterday. But her body had different ideas. The little points of her nipples had been solid proof that she felt the same attraction he did. He’d even caught the first hint of what her pussy smelled like when it was heating for a male. She might be chaste, but her body was eager to accept a lover. His cock gave a jerk as he leaned closer to listen to her song.

She wouldn’t be fucking any Hunter except him and that was something he was going to see to personally.

Tova stretched her arms up above her head and grimaced. She would not be growing soft in her new position, there was ample lifting that made her back ache today.

Her wrist was captured above her head and held there. She gasped as she snapped her head about. The Hunter had walked right up behind her as she worked. Her humming had masked his approach. He stood a mere inch from her body as he pulled her wrist towards his face.

“How is your wrist today, Tova?” His eyes considered the mild swelling left from yesterday as a shudder shook her body. Tova bit into her lip to seal her hiss inside her mouth. His eyes moved to her face instantly in response to her reaction. “Nice to see you again.”

“Bad luck.” Something flickered in his eyes that looked like approval for her response to his touch. Her body jerked away from his in another, unconsidered motion born from her awareness of his greater strength.

“Be still.” His voice was edged with hard authority as his fingers remained clasped around her hand. Sensation twisted through her like roots growing through freshly broken soil. Being so close to the Hunter once again caused an immediate reaction that surged through her well-thought-out reasons to ignore him. Her reason deserted her as his scent triggered a rush of heat that flowed towards her clit.

“You have no right to touch me.” It was a bold thing to think, much less speak. Her voice trembled as she shivered again. His fingers moved on her wrist as the Hunter moved his thumb to stroke the delicate skin on the underside of her wrist. Her nipples tingled as she pressed her lips tightly together. He watched her as his thumb stroked her skin in slow motions and one corner of his mouth rose as he heard her gasp.

“And yet you enjoy it when I do touch you, Tova. That changes what my rights are. When I can see your nipples poking through your robe, touching you becomes more of a priority because I know that you crave it too.”

Her eyes widened and Tova hissed at him. Her cursed flesh was alive with excitement and she could feel fluid from her pussy touching the top of her thighs. Between the folds of her sex, her clit burned for freedom. The need to shift her legs made her feet itch to move. Her temper ignited in response to her body’s treachery. She yanked on her hand and the Hunter’s mouth became a stern frown once more as his fingers tightened on her hand and wrist. Demand shone in his eyes and Tova glared right back at him.

“I do not offer you my submission. You should not assume I am interested.”

He growled in response. Tova grinned at his displeasure. Among Hunters, females were expected to kneel in submission to their huge bodies. Most likely that was the reason they preferred to capture their mates but Tova would have none of it.

“It is not assumption.”

She was bound in his embrace a moment later as he turned and pulled her back against his body. His head loomed over her shoulder as he pressed her completely against his hard body. She bucked away from his hold but his arm wrapped around her waist to bind her against him. His fingers spread out over her belly to press her hips back towards his large frame. His free hand gently cupped one of her breasts. A little sound of delight escaped her lips as she felt his breath brush her ear.

“These hard nipples tell me you are attracted to me.” His thumb brushed her nipple as she jumped and her hips gave a little jerk. He groaned next to her ear as she felt the outline of his cock against her back. It was hard and her clit flickered with a wave of heat in response.

“I can smell the heat from your body too.” His lips gently teased her neck. It was barely a brush but pleasure shot down her neck. “You would enjoy submitting to me, Tova. Pleasure would be your reward for obedience.”

Tova jerked in response to his words but she was tempted by the desire to tilt her head to the side so that he might kiss her some more. Need chewed at her resolve to refuse him as her heart raced beneath her breast. Her hands were clamped around the hard arms imprisoning her but her fingertips were more interested in slipping over the ridges of muscles that the Hunter’s black uniform hid from her eyes.

“Your thighs are wet with the compliance of your body. Aren’t they, Tova? The needs of the flesh often conflict with reason. But if I raised your robe, what would I find on the top of your legs?” He pressed his cock against her lower back. His thumb rubbed over her nipple again and her clit twisted with sensation so sharp it was painful. Her mouth went dry as his fingers rubbed her belly and her pussy ached for him to slide his hand lower until he relieved her need. “My touch would give you release but you will only gain it through submission to my will.”

“No. That is not a good choice. Release me and find another to play with.”

He chuckled next to her neck and Tova hissed with her hot temper. The Hunter held her in spite of her struggle to escape.

“I would rather play with you.”

The finger on her nipple was driving her insane. Lust boiled hotter as she tried to think of a way to prevent her will from crumbling so quickly. A lover she might have, but not a Hunter. “I am not a toy.”

His arms tightened around her squirming body like a warning before he reached past her and pulled one of the filled food containers off her worktable. He punctured the sterile plastic she had sealed over the food and pulled a slice of meat from inside.

“Then we will return to work, Tova. This station is under my command.” Tova gasped but the Hunter lifted the meat up to her lips. “You will taste the food you process at my direction at any time I order you to. If you are ever tempted to poison us, be assured you will suffer the same fate. Open your mouth.”

His order was intended for work purposes and yet an image sprang into her mind of him demanding she open her lips for his cock. The hard flesh still pressed against her back, taunting her with how full her pussy would be if she submitted to him. Her clit throbbed with need as his words of pleasure shimmered like a reward she might taste if only she would comply. The arm around her body tightened as she contemplated her thoughts instead of opening her mouth for the food. Pulling her attention from her burning clit took far too much effort. Tova growled before relaxing her jaw. The Hunter pushed the meat right into her mouth with his fingers.