“Oh, Gnaw. I’m so sorry.” She reached for him and touched his arm.
“They put him down after that, but she was pregnant with me from his attack. She kept me for a few years but as I grew, I resembled him more. It became too painful for her to look at me, and her grouping shunned me. I was old enough to survive on my own.”
She scooted closer and shoved the bucket from between them. “They kicked you out of your home? How old were you?”
“Five years. The males had taught me how to hunt and find shelter. None of the groupings near us were willing to accept me, even the one my father had belonged to. They feared I’d make the same mistake, turn feral one day, too, and they’d have to put me down.”
“That’s absolute shat!” she spat. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. It makes me angry. They were wrong to treat you badly because of something someone else did.”
He nodded. “My grouping says the same. I lived on my own for two years, surviving in the forests. Drak found me when I was exploring farther out and took me home. They took me in, and I’ve been with them ever since. They didn’t fear that I’d become like my father.”
“Of course you wouldn’t. You’re a good man.”
He watched her closely, studying her. She appeared sincere. “You don’t know me well.”
“I think I do. You were kind to my sister and I on the shuttle. We were both scared since we’ve never been on one before. Then you could have hurt me.” She turned her head, glancing at the padded exam bed, before peering at him, her cheeks pink once more. “You didn’t. It was great. Then you cleaned me. That’s being a good man, Gnaw. On top of all of that, you want to threaten the fleet recruiter who hired me to make sure he can’t collect on my debt. You care about others.”
He couldn’t deny anything she’d said. “No male would want to hurt a female.”
“That’s not true. I was raised on an entire planet where the men in charge don’t care much about women. My father is a good man, but most living there aren’t.”
“You’ll never return to your planet.” He’d make certain of that. “Try to eat more.”
“I can’t. This stuff doesn’t taste too nasty, but it’s got a bad texture. I think I’ve had enough. I don’t want my stomach to reject what I’ve gotten down so far.”
He nodded. The food wasn’t settling well inside his stomach, either. Veslors enjoyed meat. Not planet surface covering. He rose to his feet and held out his hand to her. “We’ll rest.”
She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Then without warning, he scooped her into his arms. He carried her over to the exam bed and lay her down. Then he climbed up with her.
She seemed surprised but didn’t protest when he pulled her close, having to hold her to make them both fit. He allowed her to use his arm to pillow her head, and he admitted it felt nice to have her small, soft body curled in front of him.
“You’re a good man, Gnaw.”
He wasn’t a man, but a male, though he understood what she meant. He was glad Darla saw him that way, rather than as an animal…the way some humans saw his kind.
* * * * *
“Breed!”
That screechy voice woke Darla. The arm around her waist tightened and the warm, large body molded to her back tensed. Gnaw softly snarled.
“Breed now, Veslor. Is she not your mate? We can bring in another.”
Gnaw released her and slid off the exam bed. She sat up and turned. He glared at the camera; the one built into the wall that opened as a door. “The female needs more rest.”
“Breed her now, or we will kill that one to replace with another.”
Panic struck. Darla didn’t want to die. And the replacement would be Becky. She didn’t think Gnaw would hurt her sister or force her to have sex with him, but the aliens who held them captive would kill her, too.
She scooted to the edge of the bed, her shirt sliding up as she did, and rolled onto her stomach, letting her legs drop over the edge. She gripped the top of the padded surface on the other side, to keep herself from totally slipping off. It left her bent over, her lower half exposed, and dangling from the side of the bed again.
“Please, Gnaw. I’m fine. Do as they say.”
He snarled louder, and as she stared at him over her shoulder, there was no missing the pure rage on his face. He turned toward her though, reaching for the front of his pants.
She looked away, finding a spot on the wall to focus on. The last time he was behind her hadn’t been painful, but he’d been calmer then. She prepared for the worst.
Gnaw approached and his big hands gripped her hips. His strength impressed her again when he adjusted her by moving her over a few inches. Then he used one knee to press between her legs. She parted them willingly. One of his hands released her, and he slid it between their bodies. This time, he didn’t touch her slit. Instead, she felt the hard press of his thick rod against her sex.
She squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for the pain.
He didn’t shove into her, though; instead, rubbed the thick tip of his cock up and down her slit. She felt his warm lubricant coating her. Her heart rate slowed a little as the fear eased. He pressed the tip firmer against her flesh
