It seemed a likely reason. It would have been nice to believe the big Hybrid was actually attracted to her the way she was, with no outside influences. But after the way Garret had treated her and the numerous rejections she’d gotten from dating sites and apps, Penny had a hard time believing that a big, muscular, handsome guy like V’rex would be attracted to a plus-sized girl like her without some kind of chemical catalyst to form the attraction
I suppose I should enjoy it while it lasts, she thought as he led her into the shower and began to shampoo her hair. God, his long fingers gave a wonderful scalp massage! But it felt dishonest, somehow. Like she was tricking him in some way. She knew that Twin Kindred liked plus-sized women, but V’rex wasn’t a Twin Kindred. What would he think of her if he could see her without the Spice in his system?
Penny supposed she would only find out if they could get out of here. And right now, that was her first priority, she decided, not what the big Hybrid would think of her once they escaped. He—
“Oh!” she gasped as two big, soapy hands reached around to wash and massage her breasts.
“Just getting you nice and squeaky clean, little girl,” V’rex rumbled in her ear. “You mind?”
“Um, no. No, I guess not,” Penny whispered rather breathlessly. Despite the intense orgasm she’d just had, she could still feel her body humming under the touch of his big hands.
“Good,” V’rex murmured. “Because I’m gonna pretend like I’m washing you while I tell you my plan. Okay?”
“O…Okay,” Penny agreed. She just hoped she could concentrate on his words while he tugged lightly on her tender nipples with those long fingers of his. This didn’t feel much like pretending to her, but she didn’t complain.
“Here’s what I’m gonna do,” V’rex rumbled softly in her ear. “Remember I told you I used to be a pretty fair pickpocket in my day?”
“Uh-huh,” Penny moaned, for one big hand had left her breasts and was sliding slowly down her abdomen and belly.
“Right, well I’m a little rusty, but it’s a skill you never really lose. Anyway, I’ve heard that the GL comes and does inspections of everywhere on the Compound every week or so and apparently he’s overdue for a look at the greenhouse.”
His fingers were between her thighs now, soaping each in turn and then urging her wordlessly to open up to him so he could slide his hand between them.
Penny did as he wanted, moaning as she felt him cup her pussy. Behind her, she could feel the long, hard length of his shaft branding her lower back while he touched her and kept talking at the same time.
“So I figure all I’ve got to do is wait for him to show up and then the minute our dear old GL is distracted, I pick the Master Control right out of his pocket,” V’rex went on. “I’m betting that not only will it release this damn pain square on my neck—it’ll probably open the front gate, too. So the minute we get it, we’re out of here.”
As he spoke, his long fingers parted her pussy lips and slipped inside.
Penny bit her lip—she really shouldn’t let him go so far! What they had done earlier was necessary but no one was watching now. She started to close her legs but V’rex whispered in her ear,
“No, baby—open up for me. Let me take care of you—let me make you feel good.”
“I…I shouldn’t,” Penny moaned uncertainly even as she opened up again.
“Oh yes, you should,” he countered, sliding his fingers into her pussy again. “Remember how you told me they turned up the hypno-whispers to our hut? Well maybe if you come again—nice and hard—right before bed, you won’t be as susceptible to them.”
“Do…do you really think so?” Penny whispered, her breath hitching in her throat as he circled her aching clit with one gentle fingertip.
“Uh-huh. Which means you might not wake up with my cock in your mouth,” he growled softly. “Unless you want to, that is. But I know it embarrassed you before.”
“It…it was awfully embarrassing,” Penny admitted and then moaned because two long, strong fingers had slipped down to enter her.
“We wouldn’t want you to be embarrassed again, now would we, sweetheart?” V’rex growled low in her ear. “Which is why you need to spread your pussy and let me fingerfuck your soft little cunt until you come for me—come really hard—so those awful fucking whispers won’t bother you tonight.”
As he spoke, his thumb continued to caress her aching clit while the two long fingers kept pace, thrusting deep inside her.
“Okay!” Penny gasped as her pleasure reached the peak. “Oh…oh…oh, V’rex!”
“That’s right, baby—say my name. Let me hear you say it while you come for me.” His voice was a low growl of desire as he held her close, riding out her orgasm while Penny clenched helplessly around his fingers.
“V’rex!” she moaned again. “Oh God, please!”
His rumbled laughter in her ear.
“You’re s’posed to say ‘thank you’ after that—not please, sweetheart.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.” Penny felt suddenly boneless. She sagged in his arms and might have fallen if V’rex hadn’t caught her and held her tight.
“Easy, little girl,” he murmured. “I think it’s time for bed now.”
“Think…” Penny yawned. “Think you’re right.”
“Mmm-hmm. Come on.”
With no apparent effort, V’rex lifted her in his arms and took her out of the shower stall. He spent some time drying her off and then drying himself off as well before he took her into the bedroom.
He tucked them both into bed, the two of them spooning comfortably with V’rex’s big body cupping her own. Penny found that when they were pressed together, there was no lack of blanket—only the delicious feeling of his big form surrounding her, making her feel protected and safe.
“Good night, little girl,” V’rex murmured in her ear.
“Night,” Penny whispered back. She might have protested at how thoroughly the big Hybrid had taken her over, but she was much too tired to protest. It had been a long, exhausting day and she felt too comfortable to want to be anywhere else.
With a sigh of contentment, she drifted off to sleep in his arms.
Fifty-Four
The hypno-whispers gave her strange dreams again, but this time Penny didn’t act on them. Maybe V’rex was right about her having an orgasm before going to sleep, but the only effect they had on her was to make her turn over so that she was facing the big Hybrid instead of spooning with him.
When she woke, she was somewhat embarrassed to find that she was pressing against him, chest to chest and naked with nothing between them. But V’rex only gave her a sleepy smile and murmured,
“Morning, sweetheart. Have any good dreams?”
“None that I can remember,” Penny told him. She started to wiggle out of his arms but V’rex was too fast for her.
“Uh-uh, little girl,” he growled. “You’re not going anywhere before I have a look at your sweet breasts.”
Rolling over on his back, he had Penny straddling him in an instant. She could feel his long, hard shaft poking her in the back as the big Hybrid pulled her down and sucked one tight nipple into his mouth.
“V’rex…” she started to protest but he gave her a stern frown and released the nipple momentarily.
“Told you I was gonna take care of you from now on, didn’t I, little girl? Well this is part of it. Morning and night I’m going to suck your sweet nipples and take care of your nectar. Don’t want you in pain like you were last night, ever again.”
“You really don’t have to…ohhh,” Penny moaned as he sucked her nipple back into his mouth and continued to drain the sticky-sweet nectar from her breast. He didn’t let her go until he was finished with both breasts and by then her pussy was throbbing and swollen.
Penny hoped he wouldn’t notice how wet and hot she was getting but when at last V’rex let her nipple slip from between his lips, between her legs was the first place he looked.
“You’re looking awful hot and wet and achy down there, sweetheart,” he growled softly. “Is there something you want to ask me to do for you?”
Penny bit her lip. Despite the way the big Hybrid was now so intimate with her body, she was still shy about asking for that particular act. The memory of how badly it had gone with Garret was still fresh in her mind. So she only shook her head.
“I think we’d better get going,” she told him. “Don’t want to be late to work, right?”
“Right. Especially since I’m going in with you today,” V’rex remarked as they got out of bed.
“What? Why?” Penny asked. “The greenhouse is across the Compound from the Marketplace. You’ll be late for your own job if you come with me to mine.”
“It’s worth it,” V’rex growled, his eyes flashing. “I have some business there.”
And he refused to say anything else about it.
Fifty-Five
After a bland breakfast of thin blue porridge which seemed to be made of the same grain as the svetty flour, they walked to the Marketplace together with V’rex’s arm protectively around Penny’s shoulders.
She couldn’t help feeling good with his arm around her. He was so big and strong and warm and he smelled so good. The same dark spice which had frightened her so badly their first night together now filled her with a sense of safety and security.
Don’t get too attached, Penny, she warned herself. Once the two of you get out of here, you can bet the mutual attraction going on between you and V’rex is going to get one-sided pretty quickly. Once the Spice is out of his system, he’s not going to be nearly so interested in you.
But since they were still stuck in the Compound—at least until V’rex could hopefully pick the Glorious Leader’s pocket and get the Master Control—she reasoned she might as well enjoy her time with the big Hybrid while she could.
The minute they got to the Marketplace—which was mostly deserted this time of day—Penny saw that Skrug was already at his spot in the front of the Butcher’s stall, chopping meat.
Just seeing the big, ugly blue alien with his humped back and snaggly teeth made her feel sick to her stomach. The good feeling she’d had on the walk in to work with V’rex by her side seemed to dry up and blow away as she felt herself getting ready for a day of uncertainty and sexual harassment.
But she hadn’t counted on V’rex’s reaction to the other male.
As the two of them approached the bakery, Skrug saw her and shot her a snaggletoothed leer. Then his slitted yellow eyes moved to V’rex and he frowned.
V’rex, however, smiled pleasantly enough as he walked Penny up to the front of the bakery.
“Stay here, will you, sweetheart? I have some business to take care of.” He hugged her and kissed her gently on the cheek and then turned and went around to the butcher’s stall.
He came right up to Skrug, until the two males were chest to chest and stared the other male in the eye.
“Do you see that female?” he asked in a low, pleasant voice, the smile never leaving his face as he pointed to Penny.
“Uh, yeah.” Skrug titled his head to one side, staring askance at the big Hybrid. “What about her?”
“She’s mine.” V’rex was still smiling but his gaze had intensified as he looked into Skrug’s yellow, slitted eyes. “And I understand you’ve been saying some pretty fucking nasty things to her.”
“So what if I did?” Skrug lifted his huge cleaver threateningly. “What are you gonna do about it?”
“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do…” V’rex made a swift move, too fast for Penny’s eyes to follow, and suddenly he was the one holding the bloody cleaver.
“Hey!” Skrug made a snatch for the cleaver but instead of getting it back, he found his thick wrist held captive in V’rex’s other fist.
“What I’m going to do is this,” V’rex told him, still speaking in that low, frighteningly pleasant voice. “The next time you say anything to Penelope—fucking anything at all—you lose a finger.”
He slapped the other male’s hand down on the bloody butcher’s block, right in a pile of raw meat and raised the cleaver high.
“Want me to demonstrate?”
“What? Fuck no—get off me!” Skrug struggled but it was clear that though they were the same height, V’rex was the stronger of the two.
“As I said, you’ll lose a finger every time you say anything to my female,” V’rex continued congenially. “Now if you touch her, you’ll lose a lot more than that.” He eyed the other male’s swinging dick, which was trembling between his knees. “Your species takes great pride in the length of their equipment, I believe.”
“What…what are you saying?” Skrug demanded.
“I’m saying that if you lay a finger on my female, you’re going to be missing some of that length. All of it, in fact.”
At last the smile fell off V’rex’s face to be replaced by a cold rage like nothing Penny had ever seen before. It burned in his eyes, turning the pale gold to dancing crimson flames.
“Do you fucking understand what I’m saying to you?” he growled in a deep, terrifying voice, pushing his face into Skrug’s. “DO YOU?”
“Yes, yes! All right, I get it!” Skrug blathered. “I won’t touch her—she’s yours, okay? Not even during a Public Breeding—I promise!”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
Turning, V’rex sliced down with the blade of the huge cleaver, burying it in the wood of the butcher’s block with a loud thunk!
Skrug gasped and stiffened, yanking his hand away as V’rex finally let him go.
“My finger!” he howled, glaring at the big Hybrid and holding up the bloody stump of one long, clawed digit.
It was his pinky finger, Penny saw, feeling sick to her stomach. V’rex had cut it off at the second joint, leaving only a wiggling stump which was fountaining purplish blood everywhere.
“You chopped it off! You chopped off my finger!” Skrug whined, holding his hand to his bloody apron to try and stop the flow.
“Told you I would, didn’t I?” V’rex’s face was cold. “That was for what you said to Penelope yesterday. Better make sure you don’t repeat the same mistake today—or ever again. If you do, you won’t have enough fingers left to cut meat—or do anything else.”
He wiped his hands on the sides of his crimson toga, as though he’d touched something dirty and turned to come back around to where Penny was standing, staring with an open mouth, in the bakery storefront.
“Doing all right, sweetheart?” he inquired in a conversational tone.
“I…I guess so.” Penny wasn’t sure what to say. She had never seen anyone commit such casual violence before. It was like something out of a movie about the mob.
My God, Penny, whispered a little voice in her head. That was some serious Scarface shit!
Even though V’rex had been acting on her behalf, it was still scary and uncomfortable to witness. She’d been feeling so comfortable and safe with the big Hybrid only moments before…but how well did she really know him?
Kat had warned her that he had a reputation for savagery and he was a notorious space pirate. Penny supposed a guy didn’t get a rep like that for being kind to puppies and kittens…
“Let me know if he bothers you again,” V’rex said, interrupting her chaotic thoughts. Leaning forward, he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead that belied his ferocious act. “Take care of yourself, sweetheart and have a good day. Oh, and it’s my turn to make Last Meal tonight since you cooked yesterday, okay?”
“O…okay,” Penny stumbled over the word, still not sure what to say.
“See you later then,” V’rex said.
Then he turned and headed for the other side of the Compound and the greenhouse, leaving Penny to stare after him uncertainly while Skrug whimpered and whined to himself in the butcher’s stall next door and tried to stop the bleeding from his severed stump of a finger.
Fifty
-Six
After the hair-raising start, thanks to V’rex, the rest of Penny’s day passed uneventfully. Skrug didn’t say a word to her. In fact, he refused to even look in her direction—which was nice, since he wasn’t exactly the prettiest thing to stare at.
At first Penny had been worried that the big blue alien would tell on V’rex to some of the NeverBreeder guards or supervisors. But later in the morning, she heard him telling his boss, Head Butcher Loone, that he had accidentally severed his pinky finger himself.
She wasn’t sure if the big alien was lying to save face or for fear of retribution from the big Hybrid if he told the truth. But either way, she was glad V’rex wouldn’t get in trouble for defending her as he had.
All day, though, the swift silver swish of the blade through the air and the thunk of the cleaver as it buried itself in the wooden chopping block wouldn’t leave her mind. She kept seeing the way the friendly smile had fallen away from V’rex’s features, showing the true face below—the bloody flames dancing in his pale gold eyes and the deep, frightening growl of his voice…
No, stop it! she told herself. He wouldn’t hurt me that way. He was protecting me—warning Skrug off in the only way that big asshole would understand. That doesn’t make him a violent criminal…does it?
Considering that she hadn’t even known V’rex a week, Penny realized uncomfortably that she couldn’t actually answer that question. What if the big Hybrid was some kind of sociopath who was showing her one face while in fact he was cold and dead inside, ready to kill anyone who displeased him? Or what if he was just crazy-jealous and possessive?
She knew plenty of women who might like the idea of their man standing up for them or fighting for them but honestly, it was an awkward situation for her—and one she had little experience with. Her last serious relationship had been based on convenience—not any kind of burning passion or devotion. Penny was certain that her ex, Garret, wouldn’t have gone across the street to buy her a candy bar, let alone gone to her work and started chopping digits off a guy who insulted her.
Stolen: Brides of the Kindred 25 Page 27
