Rival

by Tatum Throne

  “Release me from my chains so that I can touch you.”

  A groan shook through Yorn’s body as he thought about trusting the male and letting him go. As a gladiator, he could handle him, but he didn’t want to risk the chance when he was feeling this vulnerable. “No.”

  Gage leaned forward, licking his tongue underneath his stinger. “Release me.”

  The flip of his tongue under the sensitive edge of his stinger drove Yorn crazy. He wanted to forget why he’d bought the male, and take him to his bed as a companion. That was the last thing he should have been thinking about. Yorn could feel the heat and burn of his venom readying behind his stinger. Soon, it would be a painful need that he couldn’t deny. “Not going to happen. Suck my venom.”

  “Release me from my chains or I won’t suck the venom.”

  Again the male licked his stinger, twisting his tongue around the sensitive edge, making his cock even harder. He would need to have this male before the night was over. Yorn threaded his fingers into his hair, tilting his head up to expose the throbbing beat of his blood through his veins. Yorn edged his stinger up just under his chin, pressing it against the male’s neck to drive his point home.

  “Disobey me and you’ll be killed. Understand?”

  Fear and lust spiraled through the male’s eyes before he whispered the word Yorn was desperate to hear. With his life on the line, Yorn reached up, releasing Gage from the chains. His hands fell to his ass, grabbing on tight to Yorn. The male moaned, licking out and sucking hard on his stinger. Venom shot violently from his tip, ejaculating into the human’s mouth. The tip of his cockhead rubbed against his neck as he sucked harder. Desperate for companionship, Yorn took a chance he knew he shouldn’t have.

  Without warning the male released Yorn’s stinger, violently pushing him aside. He took off for the door. Yorn grabbed the male around the waist, pulling him back into the room and tossing him onto the bed.

  “I warned you.”

  “Fuck you. You don’t own me.”

  Yorn smiled, enjoying the fight outside the ring. “Yes, I do.”

  Chapter Three

  Those three simple words sent a jolt of heat flashing through Gage’s body. A ripple of need flexed over his rim as the alien reached out, grabbing his cock roughly. He gave it several twisting pulls. Betrayal whimpered through Gage’s body when he realized that the alien was using his need against him as a tool to make him submit. Right then, Gage hated himself and the fact that he was being ruled by such base and primal emotions. Raw heat moved through his body. This alien would use him and most likely kill him. That thought alone had the will to fight rushing through his limbs.

  Again, he pushed off the alien but this time was pinned against the wall by that smooth silken skin. Despite the iridescent glow of what looked like scales. This alien didn’t feel like a snake. His skin was hot and silken smooth over hard contoured muscles. His nose was flat and wide. His brow was high. His blond hair waved over his head. Up close, Gage could see that the scales had tiny golden dots that caught the light and made his skin glisten as he moved. The effect was completely seductive on every one of Gage’s senses.

  The alien flipped him around and held him face first against the wall. Gage could feel the tip of his stinger press against his skin as his cock flexed against his rim. Desperate to feel that cock penetrate him, Gage flexed his ass out, purposely rubbing his ass cheeks against that hard organ. The move rewarded him with a groan from the alien who was using his size and muscle to keep control of him. The alien pressed his hand to the back of his neck.

  “Do not test me.”

  “Why not? You’re going to kill me anyway.”

  The hand on his neck loosened gently. “I have no plans to kill you.”

  “Oh? What are you going to do with me?”

  The alien’s free hand moved down between his ass cheeks, smoothing over his rim. “I’m curious about you, Gage.”

  “Oh?”

  “Why aren’t you frightened of me?”

  “You’re all bravado.”

  “You should be frightened of me.”

  “Why? I’m not afraid of dying?”

  “No. You shouldn’t be. You should be afraid of me.”

  The alien moved his fingers aside. The loss of his heat was like a slap to his face. He wanted this alien’s attention—good or bad. He liked the way the alien was playing with him. Gage felt the alien’s long thick legs press up against his. The hard tip of his cockhead pressed between his ass cheeks. Gage pressed his palms to the wall, preparing for the hard thrust of the alien’s big cock going in dry. But it didn’t happen.

  Sweat dripped down Gage’s spine, slipping between his ass cheeks. The alien spread his ass cheeks wide, exposing his rim. The alien pulled his cock away from his ass. Again, Gage was afraid the alien wouldn’t come back to him. Without warning, long thin talons shot out from the hilt of the alien’s cock. They latched onto Gage’s ass cheeks, holding him in place. Pain rippled over Gage’s flesh as the tips of those talons burrowed deep into his ass. Gage moaned, flexing out his ass cheeks for more. He glanced over his shoulder, looking at the alien. He moaned as their eyes locked. He wanted this alien to take him hard.

  Warm wet heat flowed over Gage’s rim as one of those talons thrust into his rim, squirting hot liquid into his ass. Warmth flowed through his ass, causing his sphincter muscles to spasm and clench closed. The alien’s scales rippled, making the seductive music echo within the room.

  “Tell me your name before you take me,” Gage whispered.

  “Yorn.”

  The alien stroked his hand down over his neck, pulling it back so that their lips brushed together. Yorn’s tongue flexed over Gage’s lips and buried deep into his mouth. Gage moaned when he realized that Yorn’s tongue was forked like a snake. The burrows buried in his ass cheeks started to vibrate. Gage moaned, desperate for Yorn to plunge his cock into his ass but it wasn’t happening. Instead, Yorn moved his hand down the front of Gage’s chest, wrapping his fingers around his aching cock.

  As Yorn moved closer, the burrows in his ass started to retract. The loss of that painful heat was too much for Gage to bare. He whimpered as Yorn broke his lips away, looking at him speculatively.

  “No,” Yorn said.

  “Please.”

  “You’re here to suck venom and to train to fight. Nothing more.”

  As Yorn moved away, Gage couldn’t take it anymore. “Either kill me now or take me hard.”

  Yorn looked back at him. Gage saw the burrows that had latched onto his ass cheeks retracting into the hilt of his cock. Despite the pain that still stung his ass cheeks, Gage wanted to feel every inch of that cock buried in his ass. Yorn crossed the room, standing in front of Gage. At five-eleven, Gage didn’t consider himself a small man. In front of Yorn, he was small. The gladiator was close to six-five and was all hardcore muscle.

  “You still don’t understand. I need you so that I won’t die,” Yorn said.

  Ever so slowly, Gage began to understand. It was the venom. “How have you managed before now?”

  “My kind are supposed to be mated by now. I’ve chosen not to mate.”

  Gage’s heart started to race when the alien looked down at his throbbing prick. “Why didn’t you find a mate?”

  “I’m not like the rest of my kind and there are more of us out there.” Yorn crossed the room, locking the chains around his wrist. He took it to the wall and locked him in place. “Get some rest. I fight tomorrow. I need you to be ready to take care of the venom.”

  Loneliness moved through Yorn’s eyes before he left him alone in the bedroom. Gage didn’t like the fatalistic look in his eyes. It reminded him of what it was like being alone on Earth. Gage sat down on the hammock, resting his head on his arms as he lay down. Perhaps he would wake up in Matt’s arms and realize that this had all been a really weird dream. A small part of him hoped it was.

  * * * *

  Blinding light hit Gage in the face, an
d he immediately rolled over. He felt hungover from a late night of partying, but he couldn’t recall partying at all. The floor beneath him was hard. He looked up at his wrist, seeing the chain and the hammock he’d rolled off of in the night. All the memories of the night before came flooding back like a bad nightmare. His heart raced as he tried to recall how he’d gotten there.

  He’d been outside the gym. His memories after that were a blur of confusion. Gage sat up as one of the aliens from the night before came in with a tray. His lips moved, but Gage couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying. After the alien set the tray down on the floor for him, the alien looked at the ground beside him, frowning. He picked up the small translator, putting it back into Gage’s ear.

  “Better?”

  Gage nodded. “Where is Yorn?”

  “He’s preparing for battle at the arena. I am Kelin. Eat. You have a busy day scheduled ahead of you.”

  As Kelin left the room, Gage looked down at the tray of food. There was a green textured blob, fruit, and some kind of meat. Gage’s stomach growled when the scent of the meat hit his nose. He really was starving. If he was lucky, the food would poison him, and he’d die a quick death. Somehow he knew that wouldn’t be happening after he sucked venom twice from Yorn.

  He picked up the tray and sat down on Yorn’s soft bed as he ate quickly. Kelin came back, studying the tray. “Good. You’ll need your strength.” Kelin unlocked the chain from the wall, pulling Gage along. “You’re the first to be brought here.”

  Curiosity had Gage not fighting Kelin. He wanted to know more about where he was to plan his escape. And if he was being truthful with himself, he was dying to see Yorn again. With that in mind, he behaved himself as they crossed the courtyard, heading toward the metallic building that sat near the hillside of the mountains. Kelin coded in the door, and it opened before them. The door swished closed behind them as they headed into a long hallway.

  “What is this place?” Gage asked.

  “There are more like Yorn. More who need help with extracting their venom without dying. You are the first to survive the extraction.”

  “Yorn said he could die from his venom.”

  “Yes. It is true. Many like Yorn do die when they refuse to mate with others of his kind.”

  Gage was desperate to know more. “Are they sexed by male and female?”

  “Yes. But males like Yorn do not wish to mate with the opposite sex. Males of his kind cannot tolerate extracting each other’s venom. Most choose to use females, but very few will consent willingly without mating. The other brokers have been bringing us males for the last two years. You’re the first to survive.”

  The enormity of the situation hit Gage hard. Yorn was telling the truth about needing him, but he obviously wasn’t attracted to him the way Gage wanted him to be. That sent a pang of disappointment and uncertainty about his role in Yorn’s life. In a weird fucked up way, he wanted to be Yorn’s everything. He wanted the alien to love him. Gage was obviously not thinking straight. Still, he couldn’t deny the way the alien’s venom made him feel. He felt stronger and more alert—focused in a way he’d never been before. He wasn’t about to tell Kelin how he was feeling. The last thing he wanted was Kelin to start experimenting on him to figure out what was different about him.

  Kelin led the way into the center of the facility. There was an indoor arena. It looked like it hadn’t yet been used by anyone. There were rooms coming off the center ring. Kelin went to one of the rooms, pulling Gage along. When they were inside, Kelin hooked the chain into the wall, trapping him in place.

  “What are we doing here?” Gage asked.

  “You need to know what’s expected of you when dealing with Yorn. I doubt he will tell you everything that’s needed.”

  A shiver of fear raced through Gage’s blood. He didn’t want this alien taking advantage of him at all. Instead, a three-dimensional image appeared in front of him, showing a diagram of their alien form. This was exactly what Gage wanted to know. A voice generated by the image started to play.

  The male Dewen’s stinger is four inches long and connected to an inner sac. Venom is constantly produced and forms rapidly when aroused or fighting. The venom must be milked on a continual basis, starting at the age of thirty, or the venom will build to a toxic level and eventually kill the carrier.

  The voice droned on, showing the hood on the alien’s hilt retracting to reveal the six thin spikes that had struck Gage in the ass.

  The talons strike a potential mate in the ass and body, preparing for penetration by shooting venom into the channel.

  Gage’s heart started to hammer when he recalled the painful and seductive sting of those spiky hooks striking him in the ass. His mouth watered as he thought about how dominated he felt by Yorn. He wanted to feel that way again. He wanted Yorn to take control of him again. He didn’t care if Yorn was using him. He just wanted another taste of that venom, racing over his tongue again.

  The three-dimensional image disappeared.

  Kelin looked at him. “Any questions?”

  “It didn’t fully explain the reproductive system.”

  Something dark whispered within Kelin’s eyes before he looked away. “We’re not going to talk about that now.”

  These aliens were secretive. It should have scared the hell out of him, but it didn’t. If Gage was going to run, now would be the time. “The chains are digging into my skin. Could you remove them?”

  Kelin looked uncertain. He eyed him suspiciously, coming in close. “I shouldn’t trust you.”

  Gage’s heart hammered as he smiled, trying to play it cool. “I promise not to run.”

  Kelin removed the chain. Gage smiled, thanking him as he rubbed out his wrist. They headed down the hallway out toward the main house. This was his chance. He had to go now before Yorn came back. Gage couldn’t risk coming face to face with Yorn again. Every time they were near each other, Gage wanted to get down on his knees and suck his cock. With his newfound strength pumping through his veins, Gage got ready to run. They stepped outside into the bright sunshine. It was a humid day. As Kelin turned to lock the door, Gage ran for his life, heading toward the mountain range to escape.

  The trees were thick. The rock was rough beneath his feet. He glanced back over his shoulder as he saw Yorn’s man coming after him. His feet slid through the mud as he came around a large boulder at the base of the mountain. A roar echoed through the ravine.

  The sound of Kelin shouting behind him stung his ears, but Gage didn’t stop sprinting toward the cover of trees. As he rushed over the rocky terrain, cutting his feet on the rough rocks, Gage heard the sound of the beast’s roar coming over the ridge. A shiver of fear raced through his blood, but he didn’t stop running. He had to find a way back to home—even if it killed him.

  Chapter Four

  As Yorn was preparing for battle, he heard the sound of Kelin’s voice echoing through the ravine that bridged the way to the mountains. Cold fear raced through Yorn’s body as he rushed outside in time to see Kelin chasing Gage into the mountains. The male would be killed if he ran into one of the mountain creatures. Cold fear raced through his heart when he thought about losing the male to one of those animals out there.

  Yorn chased after Kelin, climbing and jumping over the fence. He landed on his feet, pulling his sword as he took off at a sprint. He raced over the rocky terrain. He caught up in time to see Kelin pull his dagger, chasing after one of the creatures lunging for Gage. Yorn slid on the leather soles of his feet and onto his knees, going beneath the creature. He ran his blade from the neck to the legs, gutting the creature. Green blood spilled from the beast, splashing down all over Yorn. He kicked the creature aside. As he stood up, his gaze locked with Gage’s. Terror raced through his eyes as he fell backward, rushing away. He was frightened of Yorn. That killed him.

  “I’ll go get him. He won’t get far with me tracking him,” Kelin said.

  “Thanks.” Yorn cleaned his blade with hi
s hand before replacing it in the leather sheath that hung from his waist. He took off after Kelin. They had to catch Gage before he caught up to another creature.

  He didn’t make it far before Kelin caught the male. For some possessive reason, Yorn wanted to be the one who caught him—who protected him. He did not want the male to be scared of him. Kelin wrestled with Gage, roping him with chain.

  “He’s not going to be suitable for fighting in the arena,” Kelin said.

  It was true. If Gage was ready to fight, he would have shown no fear in front of the creature. “You are right.”

  “You need to return. The Elite will be here for you soon,” Kelin said.

  The male was slung over Kelin’s shoulder and bound by rope. Yorn felt desperate to protect the male. He didn’t want the male injured. It was true. He had to get back before the Elite returned. He left Kelin to take care of Gage when they returned to the compound. He needed him after the fight.

  The hour was getting late. Without checking on the male, Yorn left for the arena. As usual, Yorn was escorted by the Elite sentry into the arena. It was already crowded from the first fight. Yorn knew the Elite wanted him to fail because he was favored among the commoners.

  The horns were blown. It was his turn to enter the arena to fight.

  It was unusually cool within the arena. It wasn’t the first time Yorn had fought Renar. He hadn’t lost once to the gladiator. It was only a matter of time before he would. They raced toward each other, clashing in the middle. The crowd erupted. The first half of their fight would be show. They would give the spectators what they wanted and then the fight would really begin. Yorn threw his competitor across the ring, but he fell in a quick roll, jumping to his feet. He chased Yorn down, but he was quick to respond with a swing of a sword. He caught Renar on his chest plate, sending him flying across the arena.