Rogue
Page 31
At last, the ship landed and the bright light nearly blinded Lynx as he was pulled into the harsh sunlight by his captors, who marched him down a dusty street and into a large, palatial building.
“Pretty, isn’t he?” the ugly, harsh-voiced man remarked to his cohort as they stripped him of his bonds and his clothing.
“He’ll fit right in!” the other man laughed. Unlocking a large, ornate door, he pushed Lynx inside. “You’re their slave now,” he said with a nod. “You do whatever they tell you.”
The light inside was much brighter than the corridor through which he had been brought, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust as the scent of perfume wafted forward and curled into his sensitive nose. Green was the first color he saw: lush, tropical plants growing in profusion. Then he saw the women—scores of them, all beautiful and all as naked as he was himself. They smelled of desire, and, despite his fear, that desire aroused him instantly.
Not knowing what to do, Lynx simply stood by the door, but was beginning to feel somewhat relieved by what he saw. Being the slave of women wouldn’t be so bad; he was fairly certain they wouldn’t beat or torture him. But Lynx had never understood women. Most of the time, he felt intimidated by them—never knowing what to say or do—and remained alone in the background while his friends found lovers. Granted, he was young, but the concepts of enticement were something that Zetithian males generally grasped at an early age; Lynx, however, was mystified.
As he stood there waiting, the women ignored him at first, but his erection eventually elicited a few stares, and soon he was being touched by several soft hands—hands which soon found his hard cock, and played in the fluid which had begun to ooze from the scalloped edges of the wide corona on the head. Lynx gasped as they fondled him before pulling him down onto the soft cushions on the floor. He’d never felt such pleasure before in his life. Then one of the women licked him, savoring his fluids until her body contracted in a powerful orgasm. Then another tasted him, and another, and another. He had the same effect on all of them, and they marveled at his attractive feline features and his sexual prowess.
He was the slave of other slaves, and he did whatever they asked, though his own needs were never considered. Not even given food of his own, to survive he had to scavenge what he could from what the women left behind, and if they ever felt the need to punish him, they made sure that there was nothing left for him. When they finally gave him permission to eat, they laughed at the way he wolfed down his food.
Still, it was easy at first, for he was young and his sexual desires were at their peak. Day after day he fucked them, fed them, licked them, and massaged them. He catered to their needs and overheard their conversations, but more than anything, they craved his body, for he affected them in a way that no other man had ever done. He was both lover and slave to each of them, who were, in turn, the slaves of a man who owned far more women than he could possibly service.
At first, Lynx didn’t understand their language very well, but as he learned, he discovered that the women’s greatest fear seemed to be bearing his child. Whenever one discovered her pregnancy, he saw the terror in her eyes as the others reassured her that Lynx couldn’t possibly be the father. This puzzled him greatly, for he could never understand why having his child was such a horrible thing—or why they never did—but he heard it constantly, and his heart grew bitter. They would take what pleasure he could give them, but wanted nothing more; not his children, and certainly not his love.
And so, for many years, he lived with them, at first only watching as their children were born, then later assisting with the births and caring for the children. He liked the babies and never held it against them that they weren’t his own. He could never understand why none of the children ever resembled him, though he’d had intercourse with each and every one of their mothers. After a while, he came to realize that he must have been unable to father children, and this weakened his self-esteem even further.
His sleep was seldom undisturbed, for there was always a woman seeking his attention—whether it was to bring her food or to make love to her—and before long, it all began to seem the same to him. What he had initially considered to be a blessing now became a curse. The sound of female voices began to grate on his nerves and the constant bickering among them irritated him almost to the point of screaming. There was no respite, no time to himself; they were always there, always demanding his undivided attention, and the sexual gratification he could give them.
His bitterness grew, and his exhaustion was never-ending. As time went on, his erections began to diminish, becoming infrequent before finally ceasing altogether. Then one day, three men marched into the harem, seizing Lynx and dragging him out to be resold. He heard some of the women laughing, and, knowing that they must have complained about his impotence, any feelings he might have had for them turned to dust.
Marched naked to the auction block, Lynx was sold again, but this time, his companions were all male, which was a welcome change. The men might have been rough and crude, but they were undemanding, and Lynx slept well for the first time in many years. His new owner, a just man who didn’t believe in slavery, told Lynx that after five years of service, he would be freed. Seeing hope for the first time since he was enslaved, Lynx put in his time, working hard and learning what the men could teach him, after which he was freed. He stayed on for several more years, working and saving his pay, for he had heard of a new colony on a planet called Terra Minor where he could be his own master and live out the remainder of his days in peaceful solitude.
Peace and quiet were the things he longed for most of all, but to find that peace, Lynx needed money, so he saved his own and watched as other men gambled away their pay or wasted it on the favors of women. As a free man, Lynx saw women and could smell their desire, but he was never aroused by them, and he avoided them whenever he could, for, having been used and betrayed by women, he now despised them all.
But their voices still haunted his dreams, and he would wake up in a cold sweat with the sound of their laughter as he was dragged away echoing through his mind—not one of them even whispering goodbye.
Acknowledgments
My thanks to my family and friends for their support, and to Earl Grey for his life-sustaining tea.
About the Author
Cheryl Brooks is a critical care nurse by night and a romance writer by day. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and lives in Bloomfield, Indiana, along with her husband, two sons, five cats, and four horses. Rogue is the third book in The Cat Star Chronicles series, following Slave and Warrior. You can visit Cheryl’s website at http://cherylbrooksonline.com or email her at cheryl.brooks52@yahoo.com.
by Cheryl Brooks
“I found him in the slave market on Orpheseus Prime, and even on such a god-forsaken planet as that one, their treatment of him seemed extreme.”
He may be the last of a species whose sexual talents were the envy of the galaxy. Even filthy, chained, and beaten, his feline gene gives him a special aura.
Jacinth is on a rescue mission… and she needs a man she can trust with her life.
Praise for Cheryl Brooks’ Slave:
“A sexy adventure with a hero you can’t resist!”
—Candace Havens, author of Charmed & Deadly
“Fascinating world customs, a bit of mystery, and the relationship between the hero and heroine make this a very sensual romance.”
—Romantic Times
by Cheryl Brooks
“He came to me in the dead of winter, his body burning with fever.”
Even near death, his sensuality is amazing…
Leo arrives on Tisana’s doorstep a beaten slave from a near extinct race with feline genes. As soon as Leo recovers his strength, he’ll use his extraordinary sexual talents to bewitch Tisana and make a bolt for freedom…
Praise for The Cat Star Chronicles:
> “A compelling tale of danger, intrigue, and sizzling romance!”
—Candace Havens, author of Charmed & Deadly
“A magical story of hope, love, and devotion.”
—Yankee Romance Reviews
“Hot enough to start a fire. Add in a thrilling new world and my reading experience was complete.”
—Romance Junkies
by Linda Wisdom
“Kudos to Linda Wisdom for a series that’s pure magic!”
—Vicki Lewis Thompson, New York Times bestselling author of Wild & Hexy
———————————————————
Jazz and Nick’s dream romance has turned into a nightmare…
Feisty witch Jasmine Tremaine and drop-dead gorgeous vampire cop Nikolai Gregorovich have a hot thing going, but it’s tough to keep it together when nightmare visions turn their passion into bickering.
With a little help from their friends, Nick and Jazz are in a race against time to uncover whoever it is that’s poisoning their dreams, and their relationship…
by Kendra Leigh Castle
A werewolf from the Scottish Highlands and a fiery demi-goddess fleeing for her life…
Desired by women, kissed by luck, Gabriel MacInnes has always been able to put pleasure ahead of duty. But with the MacInnes wolves now squarely in the sights of an ancient enemy, everything is about to change…
Rowan an Morgaine, on the run from a dragon prince who will stop at nothing to have her as his own, must accept the protection of Gabriel and his clan. By force or by guile, Rowan and Gabriel must uncover the secrets of their intertwining fate and stop their common enemy.
“This fresh and exciting take on the werewolf legend held me captive.”
—Nina Bangs, author of One Bite Stand
by Terry Spear
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Praise for Terry Spear’s Heart of the Wolf:
“The chemistry crackles off the page.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“The characters are well drawn and believable, which makes the contemporary plotline of love and life among the lupus garou seem, well, realistic.”
—Romantic Times
“Full of action, adventure, suspense, and romance…one of the best werewolf stories I’ve read!”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
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All she wants is the truth
Lelandi Wildhaven is determined to discover the truth about her beloved sister’s mysterious death. But everyone thinks she’s out to make a bid for her sister’s widowed mate…
He’s a pack leader tormented by memories
Darien Silver finds himself bewitched by Lelandi, and when someone attempts to silence her, he realizes that protecting the beautiful stranger might be the only way to protect his pack…and himself…