Gladiator: A Rough Sci-Fi Romance

by Piper Stone

  And I didn’t give a shit.

  I sucked on her tongue, a deep growl erupting from the depths of my being. I threw back my head, invigorated from her ragged breaths, the moans floating between us. “I’m going to fuck you.” My words weren’t a question but a statement of intent.

  “Do it.”

  I ripped at her shorts as she yanked at my pants and within seconds, her legs were wrapped around mine, her entire body bucking. I moved to a crouching position, nipping her bottom lip until she cried out. Chuckling darkly, I tugged her shirt over her head, tossing the unwanted material then cupping and squeezing her breasts.

  I blew a swath of hot air, growling yet again before rubbing my lips across first one then the other nipple. She was so aroused, her buds swollen and hard. My mouth watered as I darted out my tongue, swirling the tip in circle after circle, taking my time to enjoy the scintillating taste.

  “Oh...” she whispered softly, the sound like sultry music.

  As I sucked on her tender nipple, she fought to slide her hand between us. The moment her long fingers began pumping the base of my shaft, I almost lost it. The friction was incredible, only fueling the now raging fire.

  I dragged my lips to her other hardened bud, nipping and sucking as I pinched her other nipple between my thumb and forefinger. Her body shuddered from the pain, her quivering hand finding my balls, rolling them through her fingers.

  The woman was ripping away at my control piece by piece.

  “So hard,” she murmured as she slid her fingers along the underside of my cock, rolling the tip of one over my sensitive slit. “Mmm...”

  “Be careful what you ask for.” I knew her little finger had been rewarded with a trickle of pre-cum. She wiggled her hand free, sliding the tip into her mouth, her sucking noise exaggerated.

  I licked between her breasts, dragging my tongue to the base of her neck then to her chin, moving my lips back and forth.

  “Or what?” she dared ask.

  “Don’t ever tease me.” I thrust the entire length of my cock into her sweet pussy, biting back the roar threatening to give us away. “Fuck,” I hissed, taking gulping breaths.

  Whimpering, she dug her fingers into my ass before making soft mewing sounds.

  “So hot. So wet.”

  “Uh-huh.” Katarina shifted, changing the angle, driving my cock even deeper.

  The way her pussy muscles clamped around the thick invasion was a little slice of heaven. I pulled almost all the way out, plunging into her again.

  And again.

  The scent of her pussy juice was intoxicating, creating such a buzzing hum of electricity that I couldn’t no longer hold back. With every savage thrust, the breath was stolen from her, the guttural sounds mixing with my own.

  She raked her nails down my back, digging into my flesh.

  With every rough drive, skin slapping against skin, I was pushed further into nirvana, unable to think clearly.

  Or rationally.

  She belonged to me.

  Now.

  And forever.

  And no other beast who would take her from me.

  I rose onto my hands, remaining aloft as I fucked her. Even in the darkness I could see the smile on her face, the way she tossed her head from side to side. I adored her scattered sound, the way her body reacted to mine.

  As I ground my hips against hers, I knew she was close to coming, the fire between us building.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.” She pushed her palms against my chest, jerking up from the blanket. “Oh, God. So good.”

  “Then come for me, little human. Come hard.” My command was nothing short of primal, the sound almost unrecognizable. She continued to pant for several seconds until her body finally gave in.

  Katarina bit back a scream as her body convulsed, her pussy muscles like a tight vise. When the single orgasm turned into an incredible wave, I could hold back no longer, my entire body shaking.

  “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck...” I erupted deep inside, filling her with my seed, the sensations rocketing through me. I eased down until our lips were merely touching, an ugly thought hitting me, forcing my body to tense.

  We were doing exactly as the Zatans had required, infuriating me.

  She seemed to sense my discord, her body going limp. “Xander.”

  I wanted to answer her, to bask in the glory of what we’d just shared, but I was no longer that kind of man. The Zatans had beaten that out of me. Breaking the connection, I moved to a sitting position, furious with my lack of self-control.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, almost immediately scrambling for her clothes.

  “Nothing.”

  “Fine. I don’t understand you at all.”

  I laughed softly. “What’s there to understand? I am nothing but a monster.”

  “Damn you. Can’t you imagine this might bother me? Maybe I need some comfort?”

  “Comfort? I’m not human and we’re not in some relationship.” I loathed the words as soon as they left my mouth.

  There was total silence for almost a full minute. “You’re right. We will never be in some kind of relationship, asshole, and not just because you’re an alien.”

  “Just don’t do anything stupid and get some sleep. I have ideas, plans. And you need to learn to follow my directions or you will die.”

  “Bastard,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Yeah, you’re right. I am, but that’s kept me alive.” I hated myself, the man I’d become. She deserved better, but what the hell did it matter at this point? My only plan was to attempt to find the compound I’d been told existed. There were reasons for finding it and not just for our survival. Now I just had to figure out what they were. I grabbed my pants, struggling into them as I darted a glance at the mouth of the cave. The compound was our absolute priority.

  “Maybe my plan is a better one.” I heard her deep sigh and could almost read her mind: capture the king and ransom him for our freedom. As if I hadn’t thought about that before. I knew we’d never be allowed to get close enough.

  Several tense seconds passed by.

  “You’re following my orders. Period.”

  “Whatever. Why the games? Why the gladiator crap?” she finally asked.

  I thought about her question. “Play time. The king grows bored easily. I’ll venture a guess he’s not too thrilled about being stuck on this planet any more than we are.”

  “How long have they been here?”

  “Long enough to develop a society of their own. I don’t know what you’re thinking, sunshine, but our best bet is trying to get off this ugly planet.”

  Now she laughed softly to herself, almost infuriating me, although my cock continued to twitch with the thought of taking her. She had a way of digging in past my defenses, her constant questions at least providing intelligent thoughts and ideas.

  “I guess what I’m thinking you will never give a shit about. I’m just a chick along for the ride. I’m not. I can handle myself, Xander.”

  This time her words sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

  I heard her soft murmurs, the slight rustle of a blanket as she laid down. I didn’t deserve any better and she was right. I’d failed in my mission to warn Earth that the Zatans would never honor the deals they made. Snickering, I heard another growl, the sound far enough away yet penetrating the opening. We’d be damn lucky to make it out of the area alive.

  Getting off the planet? I wasn’t into dreaming but I was damn well not going to allow the fuckers to take me out without eliminating as many of them as possible.

  At least I’d die trying.

  * * *

  Thank God the storm had passed by in the morning, but a ripe cold had settled in, the air frigid. If I had to guess, I’d say snow was in the forecast. There was an eerie feeling, the color of the ground deeper, the orange sky tinted with shades of blaze red. I loathed everything about the damn planet, especially the weather patterns. If we were caught out in the open, we’d f
reeze or starve to death. I studied the device the Zatans had supplied, noticing various objects within close proximity. I adjusted the bandwidth, finally noticing coordinates for what I would guess to be the compound in question. Unfortunately, getting there would take some time over even rougher terrain.

  I had to wonder if this was merely another level in the sick game. Still, given I knew for certain there’d been other humans stationed on this planet, scientists in several specializations, I realized that some kind of facility had to exist. The humans had been sent here likely for the same reason the Zatans had: methods of survival.

  They needed a second resource for minerals, food, and finally the establishment of additional colonies given the Earth’s overpopulation. That had been their goal. Or so I’d read in certain classified materials. I didn’t buy one word of the shit. This might be fate, but it wasn’t a coincidence.

  The poor bastards simply hadn’t been ready for an attack from an alien species. I’d at least been privy to some of the last communications provided by the settler colony. That had been two days before my capture.

  I would never forget the last one initiated by the captain, his words haunted.

  “Our mission has failed. They are all dead.”

  I closed my eyes briefly, wondering if even that had all been a hoax by members of Earth’s government, allowing the Zatans free rein of this planet with a group of scientists at their disposal with much darker requirements than scouting for a possible location to colonize.

  I stood over the fallen beast, the nasty stench infiltrating my nostrils, creating bile in my throat. While the blade on the knife was sharp, cutting through the soft tissue and tendons in order to secure the pelt was an arduous task.

  I was finally three quarters of the way finished when I heard her cry of repugnance.

  “Jesus. Is that necessary?”

  I shot her a glance before continuing, realizing the façade of the girl who’d been a true warrior in fighting off the Zatan soldiers was failing. She stood in the same ridiculous clothing the monsters had given her, shaking from the cold, her eyes open wide yet unable to look away from the carnage in front of her. I hadn’t longed to be able to protect anyone in years and the thought was enough to shut down what little emotions I had left. I also didn’t want a human mate.

  “If you want to survive this planet, things are going to get pretty horrific. We need the fur to keep warm. In case you can’t smell it, we’re in for a blast of snow.” I continued cutting, finally able to remove the last of the viable fur. I shifted my glance again, watching as she studied the sky before scanning the entire perimeter.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Supposedly, there is a facility several miles from here.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she blew out a deep breath. “A facility. You’re taking their word for it?”

  “I don’t trust the Zatans, little human. You should know that by now.”

  “But you know about this... facility.” Katarina laughed, shaking her head. “The truth is, we’re never getting out of here. Never.” Her voice was more pitiful than before, as if she’d given up.

  The girl was utterly petrified.

  Another tug at my heartstrings.

  Another pull at the decent Cryton inside, the one I’d promised myself to shut down forever.

  I concentrated on my efforts, only looking up one last time. She’d vanished back into the cave. Sighing, I wiped the sweat from my brow. I studied the same landscape she’d been looking at, sniffing the air again. Damn it. Our time was running out before the storm rushed in. At least the fur was enough to keep our torsos warm for now.

  When I stood, stretching my back, a glint of some kind of metal caught my attention. I craned my neck, narrowing my eyes. I’d venture a guess that whatever it was had to be manmade.

  Maybe we were on the right track after all.

  I expected to find her huddled under a blanket, sulking given our last discussion. I was pleasantly surprised to find our few belongings packed, including items found within the cave. She stood once again like the warrior I’d seen, her jaw clenched, and her eyes pointed.

  “Are you finished yet?” she asked, giving me a hard once-over.

  I tossed her one of the pelts, giving her nothing more than a nod.

  “Then I guess we need to get the hell out of here. I refuse to spend another night in this hell hole.” Katarina shifted the pelt around her shoulders, refusing to acknowledge the stench that covered the back side, then walked around me and out of the cave. But only after tossing one of the duffle bags at my feet.

  And just as before, my cock throbbed, my balls tightening. I wanted this woman. I craved fucking her.

  Using her.

  Taming her.

  Dominating her.

  The feelings and sensations growing stronger by the minute. Almost like the way I’d felt all those years ago. A distant time. A planet far away.

  When I’d actually allowed myself to fall in love.

  That mistake would never happen again.

  Chapter Eight

  Katarina

  Bastard.

  I couldn’t help but think the same word over and over again, as if it had become a mantra. Maybe that was the only way I could keep from concentrating on the numbness sweeping though my body. Xander had been right about the weather, the quickness of the snowstorm moving in shocking. I was nearly blinded from the whiteout as we trudged through the horrible conditions.

  He actually expected me to believe there was anything but trees and mountains in this ugly wilderness. No freaking way.

  But he certainly seemed determined.

  The Cryton warrior held secrets as well as an intense darkness. I could only imagine the horrors he’d been through and why he couldn’t trust anyone. I didn’t blame him for that. Could he ever get back to his own planet? I’d studied his expressions, the way his eyes changed given his emotions. I had the distinct feeling that there was much more to him than he’d allowed me to see. He was all brawn, enraged that he’d been deceived by humans.

  What he’d told me the night before would haunt me for the rest of my life. I’d been sold to the Zatans, but I couldn’t imagine it was for the purpose of making babies. There was a hell of a lot more to the story.

  The sky was even more ominous than before, the whirling wind like whispers from the devil, a reminder of how precarious our situation really was.

  The rocks had given way to stiff cliffs with only narrow passageways leading down to another plateau of sorts. He was navigating completely with the use of the stupid contraption the Zatans had given him, as if the monsters weren’t leading us straight into a lion’s den.

  The entire game made much less sense than it had before. Given everything Xander had said, I had the distinct feeling we were being used for some definitive action, one they couldn’t or refused to do. Scientifically, I knew there had to be some kind of resource that was vital to them, maybe to their survival in general.

  Even rationalizing everything, I couldn’t stop shaking. I could no longer feel my legs or feet, yet he wouldn’t stop for anything.

  The nightmare he’d experienced had terrified me, especially given the words he’d mumbled several times. Betrayal. Destruction. Annihilation. He’d been betrayed by a human he’d considered a friend. What the hell was Earth’s humanity coming to? The other two words he’d mumbled held distinct meaning.

  Annihilation of every man and woman, the millions of people left on the Earth. None of them knew what was about to occur. They were simply all searching for a better life. Some would be captured, used as slaves or baby makers. I could only imagine what would happen to the rest.

  Certain death.

  Were the Zatans coming for his planet next given they were bitter enemies?

  I tried to use the rage furrowing into my system to keep me warm, but every step became more arduous, ice clinging to my hair and eyelashes. I tried to keep up, not to show any sign of weakness. He didn�
��t deserve anything of that nature. I could feel his eyes boring into mine as he finally stopped, studying me in a lab rat manner.

  “We stop here for a rest,” Xander stated, forced to yell his command over the whirring wind.

  I took several deep breaths, the cold making the simple gesture painful. We’d been close last night, the man’s incredible passion filling a portion of the emptiness that I’d felt for so long.

  Then as usual, he’d shut down, refusing to treat me as anything but a vessel for his sexual needs. That wasn’t going to happen any longer. Shuddering, I dragged the pelt as tightly against my body as possible, studying the area around us.

  The dense forest was unlike anything I’d ever seen, yet the snow and ice managed to slip past the foliage. The damn trees still had leaves, although they were almost black in color, as if created from the evil pits of hell. I used one as a prop, trying to catch my breath. “How... How much... further?”

  “A couple of miles if we’re lucky,” he said absently, wiping ice from the screen of the GPS-style system.

  “And if we’re not?”

  He tipped his head, grinning like some stupid loon. “Then we die.”

  I wanted to hate him, to loathe everything about the alien, but as he said before, he was the only chance I had at survival. So what if I made it back home? I would simply be incarcerated. Why bother trying? How long would it be before the Zatans came for me again, or even worse? I closed my eyes, trying to remember the last movie I’d seen or the last shopping trip with my girlfriend. Everything blended together in a horrible series of visions, one photo frame shooting after another.

  All macabre.

  All haunting.

  There was little left to live for.

  “What is... this... place you’re trying... to find?” I managed to ask, my teeth chattering. I wasn’t entirely certain my words made any sense.

  “A compound of some type. Maybe another species was here before. From what I can tell, we’re still on track. Can you make it?”

  “Yeah. Don’t worry about me.” Another species. Over the years there’d been reports from NASA on the expansion of long-term missions to other solar systems, but I’d never heard any reports of humans being involved. We weren’t that technologically advanced.