by Merel Pierce
Scarlett
Scarlett let out a sigh as she sat the tablet back on the table and stretched. Selling a slave was a bit more complicated than she had expected, especially since she was trying to do it through a private dealer. Most of them wanted health checks and record verifications before they would even consider it.
Checking the time, she realized it was already lunch and she hadn’t seen Kralk in a while. She had been aware of him moving around the house as she researched upcoming sales, but she hadn’t paid much attention to him. It was almost comforting to have the background noise of him puttering around.
Pushing herself to her feet, she walked to the wall that divided her kitchen from the rest of the living area. A glance around the corner showed that Kralk wasn’t there, so Scarlett continued down the hall. She only had a one-bedroom apartment, so there weren’t many places left where he could be.
When she popped her head into the laundry room, the washer and dryer were both running, but while the omega’s scent lingered, he wasn’t there. Her bedroom was equally empty, but her bathroom door was open.
Peeking around it, she found Kralk on his knees scrubbing the old-fashioned clawfoot tub. Scarlett would have said her bathroom was already clean, but the room sparkled now. She could almost see her reflection in the floor tiles.
She must have made some sound, or maybe her scent alerted him, because Kralk’s head suddenly jerked up and he turned to face her.
“I’m sorry, did you need me to leave?” he asked as he moved to stand.
“No, I was just checking on you. I’ve sent an email to the coordinator of an upcoming sale, but I have to wait to hear back from him.”
Kralk nodded once as his face clouded.
“You don’t have to…”
She trailed off, waiving her hand around at the bathroom.
“I’m almost done. Then I’ll finish the laundry. This is one of the things I’m for,” he replied as he turned with a shrug and continued to scrub.
Humming, Scarlett turned and made her way back to the kitchen. Pulling out everything she needed, she made two sandwiches and was putting things away again when Kralk walked around the corner.
Freezing, he stared at the plates before giving her a wide-eyed look of horror.
“I’m sorry, I should have paid more attention to the time and had lunch prepared for you,” he said as he jerked his eyes down to the floor.
“Don’t worry about it. Just eat your lunch.”
Eyes darting back to hers before looking away, he whispered, “Yes, Alpha.”
Warm satisfaction rolled through her, and she took both of their plates to the table as he washed his hands before joining her. Scarlett could see him peeking at her from the corner of his eye as he sat on the edge of the chair beside her where she had placed his lunch, and she let out a careful purr to soothe him.
“I wasn’t sure what you like, so I hope you don’t mind what I made for you.”
Kralk let out a half-strangled laugh, like he couldn’t believe what she had said.
“It’s food. It’s the second meal I’ve received in one day, and it’s not rotting. I don’t mind.”
Scarlett paused in her chewing. She knew that some people treated their slaves badly, but Kralk showed no signs of abuse. He was thin, but in a slim, athletic way, not as if he’d been starved.
That didn’t mean his life had been good.
Trying to shove aside the guilt creeping up, Scarlett pushed away from the table and stood.
“I need to go to the market. Is there anything you need?”
One pure-white eyebrow rose as he paused with the sandwich in his hands.
“Right…”
Scarlett turned and placed her plate in the sink.
“You are free to do as you wish inside the house, but do not open the door.”
He nodded as his eyes followed her to the entrance.
“I shouldn’t be too long,” she added.
He nodded again as she opened the door. Hesitating in the doorway, she took a deep breath before walking through and locking it behind her. She felt weird leaving him in her home alone, but she knew he would draw too much attention at the market in nothing but his loincloth and the collar he still wore.
It took a little longer than she’d expected to find what she needed. She was looking for clothing for Kralk, but she didn’t know his size, and with his long legs and lean frame, it was hard to find pants that looked like they would fit.
Finally settling on a loose pair of lounge pants with a drawstring waist, Scarlett grabbed a simple black shirt to go with them before moving on to the part of the market that sold food. She hadn’t planned on feeding two people, so she needed to pick up a few things to make sure she had enough to feed Kralk as well until she could deliver him to the auctioneer.
When she opened the door to her house, the scent of omega was the first thing she noticed, followed by Kralk pacing across her living room. He jerked his head toward her, and she didn’t miss his flinch before he froze in place.
“Sorry it took longer than expected,” she said, walking over to the table to set down the bags.
Digging through them, she found the clothes she’d bought for Kralk before turning back to him and holding them out.
“I got these for you. You can use my shower and get changed while I start dinner.”
Seeming to come out of a daze, Kralk shook his head and stepped forward.
“I can cook. It won’t take me long to wash.”
“No, you don’t have to rush. I’m used to fending for myself.”
Taking the bag, he nodded and dropped his head.
“Thank you. I’ll come help when I’m done.”
As she watched him walk away, Scarlett’s tail lashed behind her. She liked the thought of him cooking for her, and she liked the thought of him naked in her bath even better, but she wasn’t going to take advantage of him.
Turning away, she focused on cooking their dinner.
Chapter Eight
Kralk
Plucking the clothing out of the bag, Kralk found a pair of dark grey pants and a black shirt. It was the most fabric he’d worn at once since he’d become a slave. Shrugging, he pulled the clothes on.
He tugged at the hem of the shirt, adjusting it until it settled across his shoulders. While he appreciated Scarlett’s thoughtfulness, it felt strange to wear such regular clothing. It was a bit binding, and his skin twitched as he tried to acclimate to it.
While she was gone, Kralk had grown restless. He had scrubbed her whole apartment, washed her sheets and clothes, and now there was nothing left for him to do. It was unsettling to be alone with nothing to keep him occupied.
The front door opening had startled him, and for a moment he’d panicked. Caught in the Alpha’s gaze, he had frozen until she looked away from him to put the bags down. His heart hadn’t slowed until he was standing under the steaming water in the shower.
Kralk blew out a puff of breath. He didn’t want Scarlett to think he was wasting time, so he tried to ignore the way the fabric chafed against his skin and returned to the kitchen.
She turned as he came around the corner, and a wave of chills broke over his skin as her eyes traveled down his body. Cock twitching, he watched her pupils expand before she cleared her throat and looked away.
“If you could chop those vegetables, I can start cooking the meat.”
Kralk moved to the counter behind her and did as she asked. Waves of heat radiated from the cooking unit next to her, and he had to fan the front of his shirt to cool down.
By the time they sat at the table to eat, sweat had collected on his brow and he was worried about it soaking through the new shirt. The food she had made looked great, but his gut clenched, and he couldn’t do more than push it around on the plate.
Being so close to Scarlett, her scent was all Kralk could think about, and she was what he wanted to eat, not the food. His cock throbbed insistently below the table as fluid dribbl
ed from the tip and another cramp hit him.
Groaning, he dropped his fork with a clatter as the pain drained down his groin to coalesce in his balls. His shaft pulsed, and his pants were soaked in slick fluid when his hand gripped it.
“Are you okay?”
As Kralk looked up at Scarlett, her nostrils flared. Once again, her pupils dilated, and she released a low growl along with her breath.
“Are you… Are you going into heat?”
His eyes widened. He’d only been without suppressants a couple times since he presented, but that had been during the time he was owned by the pleasure house. He couldn’t remember how long it took for his hormones to regulate after they quit giving him the pills, but he had already been without them for almost a week now.
“I… Maybe?”
Another clench preceded a new gush of fluid that trickled down his shaft and soaked into his pants.
“Yes,” he said, closing his eyes and hanging his head.
Kralk heard her chair scrape back before she gripped his shoulders. Lifting his head, he blinked up into her blue eyes.
“I will not take you against your will. Tell me what you need and then I’ll leave and lock you in.”
It took a moment to make sense of her words. She was going to leave him alone because she thought he didn’t want her. Shaking his head, he gathered his courage and reached out to cup her cheek.
“You. I need you. Don’t leave me.”
Scarlett let out a rough growl.
“Don’t give me that shit. I don’t want fake interest.”
“It’s not. Since I saw you from the stage, I’ve wanted you to own me. To use me,” he gasped through another ripple of pain.
Focusing on her lips, he felt the impulse to lean forward and kiss her, and instead of fighting it, he did. Her growl deepened as he pressed his mouth to hers and slipped his tongue out to lick her lower lip.
Hand moving to the back of his head, she tugged him forward until his chest was pressed to hers, tipping his head back and taking control of the kiss. Kralk moaned as she thrust her tongue into his mouth, and he wrapped his arms around her to pull himself closer.
Scarlett was kneeling on the floor between his legs, and he ground his erection into her belly as she plundered his mouth, a steady growl rolling from her chest. Shivers skated down his spine as she nipped at his lips. It startled him when her tail curled around his leg, but he quickly relaxed back into the kiss.
When she pulled away, he let out a whine of disappointment.
“Go to my room,” she commanded. “I’m going to lock up.”
Eyes snapping open, Kralk stared for a moment before giving a sharp nod. When she stood and moved out of his way, he jumped to his feet and almost ran down the hall.
As he opened the door, he hesitated. She hadn’t told him to get on the bed, but the need to nest pulled at him. His hands itched with the urge to fix it even though he had just put fresh sheets on it a few hours earlier.
Kralk jumped as he heard a thud from the front room. Turning to stare at the door, his breath snagged in his chest as he listened to the footsteps coming down the hall.
Chapter Nine
Scarlett
I wanted you to own me. To use me.
Kralk’s words echoed in Scarlett’s head as she tried to focus. Licking her lips, all she could taste was him, and she let out a groan.
The thought that he might go into heat had never crossed her mind. She had assumed he was on suppressants, though she should have checked. Thinking about it now, it made sense that they hadn’t given him any before the sale.
Engaging the deadbolt on the door, Scarlett looked around. His pheromones had her instincts riled up, and she didn’t feel like the lock was enough to protect her omega.
Hers.
When she realized what was happening, she’d tried to do the right thing. She’d fought her instincts and was going to leave. She would have locked him in the apartment alone to ride out his heat. But when he’d said he needed her, a pulse of desire had rolled through her body, taking her breath away.
Spotting her bookcase, Scarlett decided to barricade the door so that if anyone managed to get it open, the noise would alert her.
She had still tried to fight the need to take him until he said he’d wanted her since the auction. It may have only been twenty-four hours ago, but she had felt the pull too, and it hadn’t eased. There was no reason to keep denying both their desires.
Grunting, Scarlett shifted the shelf until it blocked the door. A few books fell off to thump to the floor, but she didn’t care.
Snagging two bottles of water from the kitchen, she chugged one as she made her way down the hall. She stopped at the laundry room and grabbed an armful of extra blankets and pillows before pushing through her bedroom door.
Kralk stood in the middle of the room, pupils blown wide. Eyes shifting to the mass in her arms, his hands twitched like he wanted to take them, but he waited.
Moving to the bed, Scarlett dropped the pile by the foot and looked back to where Kralk still stood. He seemed torn, but he remained rooted to the ground.
“Are you not going to build a nest, Omega?”
His wide eyes focused on hers as his chest heaved. Tongue peeking out, he licked his lips as he took a small step towards the bed.
“M-May I?”
A flash of rage hit Scarlett at the thought that he felt the need to ask permission first—he obviously had been denied that right in the past.
“Make us a nest. If you need more supplies, I’ll get you more.”
Kralk hesitated a moment longer before lurching to the bed. Scrambling into the middle of it, he began tugging and pulling at the blankets, taking pillows from Scarlett to work them in as she held them out to him. By the time he finished, he was completely buried from sight.
Scarlett chuckled when he stilled beneath the blankets and pulled them back down until he could peek over the top.
“Are you comfortable now?” she asked with a smile.
Her core clenched in anticipation, but she took the moment to enjoy the sheepish look on Kralk’s face as he nodded.
“Do you still want me?”
Nostrils flaring, his lips parted as he licked them again. Pushing the blanket down farther, he climbed to his knees.
“Yes.”
Scarlett toed off her shoes and kicked them to the side of the room. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, she pulled it over her head as Kralk watched, eyes roaming her body.
Stepping closer to the bed, she handed him the second bottle of water.
“Drink that. Now.”
His eyes never left her as he twisted off the cap and downed the whole bottle. The attention made her preen, warmth flooding through her as her desire grew.
She took his shirt in her hands, stripping him of the cloth hiding his chest and abs. Rumbling with pleasure as her gaze followed the muscles leading below his pants, she placed a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him back until he lay sprawled on the bed. Grabbing the waistband, she jerked them down, his cock bobbing free to jut up in front of her face.