Wild Beast: A Rough Sci-Fi Romance

“Time to go,” he says.

This is all happening far too fast. It is one thing to sleep with an angry wolf alien within the first hours of knowing him. It is something completely different to go somewhere with him—especially given his introduction involved him swearing my demise.

“The wild ones will never let you leave with me.”

“I think they will. Come on.”

He takes me by the hand and leads me from the den. I half expect the wild ones to come bounding after us and round us up, but they don’t. The only creature to follow us is Bilbo, who has impeccable sense as to when to come and when to go. He follows us out into the forest, around fifty or so paces from the den.

“Initiate transport,” Volt says.

Two such simple words. Little words. Words that should mean nothing and do even less.

But they change everything.

A spaceship suddenly materializes around us. I realize in that moment that I have just been abducted by an alien, and so has my ESG. Bilbo presses against my legs and lets out a bleat of concern as we are suddenly surrounded by half a dozen Vulpari. They are the most intimidating collection of creatures I have ever seen. They are all like Captain Volt, massive, burly, rough-pelted males wearing armor that leaves their abdominal plane and huge biceps bare. All the better for me to stare at.

“Captain. You brought the human with you,” one of them says. He sounds surprised, and not in a good way.

“She is not the human. She is my mate. My fuck-bred.”

Fuck-bred. I have never heard that term before. It makes me flush with hot intensity and a new rush of desire. They too must be able to smell him on me. I feel like a morsel waiting to be devoured.

The ship is massive. I can already tell just from the size of this transport room. It is large enough to fit the entire shuttle I traveled to the wild planet on. If this is any indication of size, I am aboard a floating city of wolf aliens.

This is not good.

CHAPTER 5

Penelope

“What are you doing with me? Is this where you kill me?”

I am terrified, and for good reason. There is not a creature in this room that does not want to consume my flesh. I can feel their intention in my gut with the certainty of prey.

He caresses my cheek gently, looking down at me with what I can only describe as pity. Down on the planet he seemed like an egotist. On this ship all that cockiness makes sense. He is in context here. He is in command.

“If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead. I do not want to kill you. I want to defile you. I want to dominate you. I want to do everything to you that you did to the wild ones. I want to change you to your very core. I want to make you my whimpering, obedient, helpless little human pet.”

I draw in a deep breath. “Or you could put me on a shuttle back to Earth.”

“I don’t think so,” he says.

“Don’t hurt my goat,” I say. I can feel Bilbo trembling against my legs in a way he never did when we were with the wild things. He feels the change in intensity that comes with this particular batch of vicious aliens. It is their sentience and language that makes them much harder to understand and therefore much more dangerous.

“No harm will come to you or your pet. I swear it.”

I don’t know whether to trust him or not, but I don’t see that I have much in the way of choice. I am a prisoner and so is Bilbo.

Captain Volt drops an arm around my shoulders.

* * *

Volt

I have never mated anybody who felt the way Penelope did when I was inside her. It was not a merely physical experience. When I climaxed with her and felt my knot growing inside her, I felt something more, something so intense and important it was spiritual in nature. This human is mine. I have to have her. There is no choice for either of us. The universe wants us together, and I have no intention of trying to fight all of creation.

She does not have the same understanding. I can see that she is afraid. More than afraid, she is terrified. And why not? My crew has no fondness for humans.

“This is my human,” I announce. “No harm, of any kind, may come to her, or the beast that accompanies her.”

They do not understand, but they obey.

“Come with me,” I say. “My quarters are comfortable and you will be safe there.”

I want her settled in my space den. I want her to be resident in my furs. I want her scent to reflect mine.