Gladiator: A Rough Sci-Fi Romance

by Piper Stone

  An honorable man.

  One with courage and tenacity.

  One with humanity.

  What had they done to me?

  Then I exploded deep within her and knew everything I’d worked so hard to achieve was lost.

  I was more beast than man.

  Chapter Six

  Katarina

  Alien.

  I couldn’t get it out of my mind that Xander was a creature from another planet.

  And I’d fucked him. I’d hungered for him.

  I’d allowed him to use me.

  Guilt and complete shame rushed through me. I had to be sick inside.

  He saved your life.

  So what? We were going to die at some point.

  “Who the hell are you?” My question was harsh, that much I knew but I was intolerant of anyone’s bullshit. I sat as far away from the man as I could without fear of the big black hole behind us. I held the light stick in one shaking hand, the food that tasted like cardboard in the other. The filthy blanket Xander had fucked me on did little to squash the wretched shivers. He’d gone a solid two hours without talking to me.

  The man had spanked and fucked me like an animal, but he didn’t have the nerve to say anything to me afterward. Except that I was supposed to remain obedient. The more I thought about his previous statements, the more agitated I became. “Answer me. If we’re going to be sharing a long experience together then we should get to know each other.”

  “You said it yourself. I’m just a bastard. Just an alien freak.” Xander stood at the mouth of the cave, glaring out at the night sky. The rain continued to fall, adding an even more ominous feeling to the hole in the wall we were in.

  We’d continued to hear various animalistic grunts and growls in the distance, only adding to the realization that we were living on borrowed time.

  “Just stop it. Okay? I honestly have no idea how I got here and certainly not why, but you seem to know a lot more than you’re telling me.”

  He tipped his head in my direction, remaining quiet. I could swear his gorgeous eyes were glowing. Something else about him that scared me to death. I could tell me was toying with the knife, the one he’d used to save my life. “Doesn’t matter who I am, Katarina, and it no longer makes a bit of difference who you were on Earth. I’m certain you had an interesting life.” He spit out the words as if he didn’t believe me.

  “What? You think I was some princess? Or worse, a criminal? That I deserved to be sent here to this hell hole?” The man was more infuriating than ever, the sneer on his face one I wanted to wipe off. “You are a horrific excuse for... wherever the hell you come from.”

  “Cryton. I already told you that the name of my planet is Cryton.” He hissed the words as he glared at me.

  I could see even mentioning his planet pained him. “Cryton. Okay, fine. That doesn’t give you the right to act like some monster.”

  “Best you continue thinking that way.”

  “Right. Whatever, Mr. In. Charge.”

  I could tell he bristled even in the shadowed light.

  Another full ten minutes went by of listening to the whipping wind and rain, every part of me freezing to death from the cold. “My life wasn’t all roses and rainbows. I worked hard to get where I am, school my number one priority. I had an amazing internship lined up. The plans were in motion. I wanted to help people. Isn’t that a crock of shit?”

  His glare pissed me off even more.

  “So, you’re somebody important,” he managed.

  “Meaning what?” I shifted forward, glaring at him, my patience level growing thin. “I asked you a damn question.”

  “Meaning the Zatans must think you’re very special. That’s why you’re here, princess. You seemed high on their list.”

  “How in the hell would you know about lists? This alien monster you were talking to at the front gate?”

  Xander shrugged. “Dakar told me things.”

  “I bet for a price.”

  He snickered. “There’s always a price, little human.”

  “Please stop calling me little human. I have a name.”

  Xander kept his leering glare on me before shifting his gaze, tending to the fire.

  “I heard that alien beast calling you Lieutenant. Does that mean you were in the military on your planet?” That seemed to surprise him.

  Exhaling, he moved his back against the stone, crossing his legs. Why was it that everything about the buff alien was sexy as hell? My pussy still ached from the way he’d ravaged me, my nipples sore. Every time I shifted, the material sliding back and forth across my bruised bottom, I should have been incensed. Instead, my pussy quivered from some Neanderthal dark craving.

  His cock.

  His touch.

  His... domination.

  I was sickened at the thought.

  I hated the fact I was so attracted to him, wanting nothing more than to hate him, even blame him for what had occurred. I knew better. I had to face the fact that I was stranded on some distant planet, surrounded by beasts and monsters. I couldn’t stop myself from bursting into laughter.

  “What are you laughing about?” he asked, his tone far less dominating than before, more haunted than I’d heard.

  I shook my head, finally tossing the half eaten nutrient bar to the side. “I’m laughing because I honestly have no idea why I was ripped out of my home. I’m going to venture a guess that you know and no, I’m nothing special, Xander. Or maybe I should keep calling you Thor.”

  He shot me another look, penetrating into the very depths of my soul, forcing me to take several deep breaths.

  “Was there a system of some kind in how and why they abducted women? Did these aliens throw darts on a board or were they just grabbing up any woman they saw?”

  “Look. It doesn’t really matter any longer.”

  “It matters to me. I’d heard stories, but no one from the police to government officials was owning up to anything.”

  “Stories?” He shot me another look.

  I chewed on my cheek before answering. “A reporter. He told wild stories. No one took him seriously.”

  “Andy Wallace.” He laughed softly, shaking his head.

  “Yes. You know what I’m talking about. I’m surprised you had time to watch our teleprompters.”

  He sneered, shaking his head. “I was required to learn everything I could about every country on your world. I know more than you could ever understand. That reporter is likely not to be alive any longer.”

  “Because of what he spouted off.” I took a deep breath as he nodded. “Why didn’t anyone take him seriously?”

  Another moment of tense silence.

  “And terrify the people on your planet? That wasn’t going to happen,” he said absently.

  “The government knew his reports were true. That’s why they did everything they could to disparage him. Why not warn the people on Earth? Why didn’t you?”

  Xander shifted into a sitting position, still staring at the fire. “I was only one of fifty advisors sent to Earth. It was not our place to meddle in the affairs of humans. As far as your government officials. If they’d sent out a warning, that would mean admitting that they’d allowed the Zatans certain rights on Earth.”

  “I’m right. They knew,” I said in a whispered tone. The bastard leaders that we’d all trusted had sold us to the highest bidder.

  “They knew enough, Katarina. Trust me on that one. My guess is your illustrious leaders will eventually confide in your people, screaming out that they had no choice. That they are nothing more than victims, but I know better.”

  A cold shiver trickled down my spine. “How do you know, Xander?” I didn’t have to hear an answer to realize that whatever military training he’d experienced had cost him his freedom. My God, what was really going on here?

  After tossing another piece of wood onto the fire, he folded his arms around his knees. “You don’t really want to know.”

  We both r
emained quiet for several minutes, yet I couldn’t stop shaking.

  “That night, all I can remember is a black cloud hanging low in the sky, as if a terrible storm was coming. I had a night to myself, longing to relax and read. Then I heard noises outside, rumbles coming from every direction, but I couldn’t see anything given the ominous sky and the swirling wind. Then the sound of heavy boots. I thought maybe there was a raid of some kind given I didn’t live in the best neighborhood. But they were coming for me,” I barely managed to say, the visions rolling through my mind startling.

  I could feel the heat of his gaze, could hear his ragged breathing. I felt like I was transported back to that awful night, the terror that ravaged every portion of my mind and body when the door was literally disintegrated.

  “There were so many of them and smoke filling my apartment. I couldn’t see anything but the thick, black swirls, the acrid stench cutting off my air supply. I will never forget their hands, the way they touched me, so brutal and heartless. I screamed for help but no one cared. Six hundred apartments around me and not a single person came to my defense.” Tears slipped past my lashes as the strangled words left my mouth.

  “The Zatans are savages,” he said quietly. “You already know that. Anyone who attempted to intervene would have been destroyed.”

  “Is that why they hate you so much, because you know what they’re capable of?”

  “They attacked our world, killing many of my people. One day the Cryton species will seek retribution. We will hunt every last one of them down.”

  Dear God, his words were almost as horrifying as the event itself. “I remember being chained, thick metal wrapped around my hands and feet. I also remember the sound of their laughter, as if I was just another piece of meat. Then I was in a ship of some kind, the darkness and wretched odors overwhelming. I wasn’t alone, hundreds of other girls chained to the metal walls, every one of them crying. Begging. We were sold as some kind of bargaining chip. Weren’t we?” I groaned out of frustration. I snapped my head in his direction. “I’m right and you already know this, don’t you?”

  “I know enough,” he said in an almost casual manner.

  “God, you’re a fucking bastard. Are you a part of this?”

  His eyes blazed with anger and hatred as he matched my focused gaze, his lip curling. “You might think me as barbaric as those fucking beasts, but I would never betray Earth or my people. Never.”

  I heard the stringent conviction in his voice as well as the hint of fear.

  “Then tell me what you know. Please, Xander.”

  Another pause.

  Another tense moment.

  I bent over, holding my stomach as the nausea came in wave after wave.

  “You’re right on several levels, although I’m not entirely certain of all the details, Katarina. There is a very detailed system that the Zatans follow, including certain names that were purposely placed on their list. What I’ve gathered is that the Zatans require fertile females and while you may believe that your medical records are private, I assure you, they are not. There is no privacy left on Earth. The government knows everything about all of you. They were very ingenious about infiltrating Earth, even right under my nose.”

  “So the Zatans could easily find out anything about anyone,” I whispered. I could tell he was riddled with guilt. “Top level governments must have known about the possibility.”

  “Yes. Did some members of your government know about the Zatans long before anyone was told of the possibility? Absolutely. From what I learned, many of them knew at least ten years ago about the Zatan creatures. Contact had been made. That’s what I found. Do I believe your president or any of the other world leaders knew their intentions immediately? No. But I know from what I’d discovered from being an honorary member of the United States military that every effort they’d made at peace with the Zatans had failed. What I believe is that some of your leaders made a deal with them.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “That’s what I was attempting to find out, little human.” He stood, tossing back his head and exhaling. “Trust me, there is a hell of a lot more going on here than aliens needing babies and sick gladiator games.”

  The sound was full of resignation.

  His words were far more chilling than any of the others, but I could tell he was still holding something back. I swallowed a lump in my throat, processing what he’d told me. “How do you know this, Lieutenant? You seem certain of yourself, as if you had detailed information.”

  I expected him to be riled, barking at me as he’d done before. This time, he appeared resigned and exhausted.

  Xander walked closer, easing down on a rock formation just a few feet away. “My rank even as a Cryton officer meant I was privy to certain information in order to guide your military.”

  “Certain information. Your rank. Your planet sounds remarkably similar.”

  He chuckled. “Yes. We are structured in much the same way. I was recruited when I was young, my expertise the reason I was tasked to come to Earth.” A shadow crossed his face. “When I found out the Zatans had breached your galaxy, there was little I could do, although I warned the very humans I was working with. They did not believe me, or so I thought. I gathered as much information as I could in order to prove what I realized was about to happen.”

  “Extermination?” I asked, my body shaking.

  “At some point.”

  I scooted closer, my hackles raised. “So, I was chosen by the aliens for some particular reason? Is that what you’re telling me?”

  “It’s difficult to tell without knowing everything about you. Only after arriving on this shithole did I realize that there were random selections merely based on location and fertility, numbers the Zatan soldiers were required to fill. Other women were selected for certain... reasons. However, my beliefs don’t matter at this point.” The grip on the knife increased, his thumb coming dangerously close to the jagged blade.

  I tried to think rationally, pushing aside my own increasing anger. Whatever information he’d found out was the very reason he was here. I was certain of it, but he wasn’t ready to tell me anything. “The damn aliens pretended to be our friends when all along they were planning on abducting people.”

  “Yes. And as you can see, they abducted creatures from various planets and galaxies. They are rebuilding their population.”

  The magnitude of what was occurring was incredible. “They’ll destroy any planet if they don’t get what they want.”

  “Unless they want to inhabit that planet.”

  “That’s... crazy,” I whispered.

  “They will continue on depleting resources until their planet and their people are healed. If what I discovered is correct, the Zatans had visited Earth decades before.”

  “Decades,” I whispered.

  “They hid their capabilities from various species, remaining primitive in their battle strategies. As humans would say, we were all fools.”

  There was much more to this story than he was prepared to say. I had so many questions, but given I was a scientist, I could easily rationalize that a deal had been made to keep the peace. Either give the Zatans what they wanted or face total annihilation. “My guess is the various leaders on Earth believed they had no choice but to engage in talks, develop a friendship that the Zatans had no intention of keeping. They wanted it all.”

  “They won’t stop until they get what they want,” he snarled and even from where I was sitting, I could tell the knife was slicing into his hand.

  “Stop it. You’re hurting yourself.” I crawled toward him, tugging on his arm. Strings of blood covered his palm, dripping down onto his pants. “Jesus.”

  “Let me alone, Katarina. You’re not my keeper.”

  I managed to jerk the blade out of his hand and held the light over the cut, putting pressure on the injury for a few seconds. Thank God he hadn’t nicked an artery. “Three more centimeters and I’m not certain I could have stoppe
d the blood. Keep your hand right there and this time, don’t you move.” I grabbed the bag I’d been forced to carry, riffling through the contents, finding another relatively clean shirt. At least it was cotton or some material that was close. I surprised him once again when I ripped several strands, refusing to take his testosterone-infused dominance.

  Using what little water we had in our possession, I cleaned the wound, blotting it dry before wrapping his hand. The sizzle of his body along with his heated gaze left prickles racing down the length of my arms. The thought of touching his body, running my fingers over his skin was incredible, my nipples aching from the rough round of sex earlier. I turned away, trying to think of anything else. The last thing I needed was to find myself attracted to this man.

  Savior or not.

  Everything he’d said to me was similar to things I’d heard my father say. At least that’s what my mind remembered. I was so young at the time. He’d believed in aliens and told me stories of how they’d already visited Earth. If only I could remember exactly what he’d shared.

  “You’re very good with that,” he mumbled, his fingers stroking mine.

  “You forget, I’m a doctor.” The touch was just as electric as any time before. My heart racing, I tied the bandage and eased back, breaking the connection. My pussy quivered, my mouth becoming dry. I pressed my hand across my lips, forcing back a moan. My feelings were ridiculous. “I’ll repeat the question I asked before. Who are you really? How does an alien with a high level of clearance end up here on this godforsaken planet caged like an animal? You asked questions. You ruffled feathers. So what?”

  He studied his hand, flexing his fingers before answering. “Yeah? Well, I ruffled the wrong feathers, little human. Let’s just say that I was found guilty of certain crimes against your Federal government. That’s all you need to know.”

  Jesus Christ. There was much more going on behind the scenes. A cold shiver trickled down my spine.