The Wildling

by Treva Harte

  "Don't touch."

  Arness' mouth went dry. She wanted to touch that face, to stroke the rest of that sculptured body. Goddess! She hadn't been so affected by a male's looks since she was a teen. She pulled her hands away, afraid they might give away her unwanted emotion.

  "Why not?" she managed. She looked down his body and was reassured. "You like my touch. We can both see that."

  Adan shifted his body away from hers again, but she'd seen what he wanted to hide. His cock didn't want her to stop touching any more than she’d wanted to stop.

  "I know a great deal about you already, Mistress." She finally registered two important points through the sudden flare of lust his stare had sparked. First, he didn't use her title with the respectful tone it deserved. Second, he spoke as fluently as her Primary but far more fiercely.

  "Over half the men on this ranch are captures because of you, but they still speak your name with awe and longing. They wait for the times you visit this prison. You sold them but they don't care. You've enthralled them with your body, with your voice, with your attention. Obviously you're a dangerous woman."

  * * * * *

  "You're a brave woman, Salla." Georgette draped herself over the bedpost as Salla finished shoving the last dainty sash into her trunk.

  "Why do you say that?"

  "You're going back to a ranch. A rustic, primitive ranch." Georgie shuddered. "I've never heard of anyone voluntarily going to one."

  Salla laughed. Georgie was a city girl.

  "Other people go back to their homes after they graduate from school." Salla stared at herself in the mirror. She was still dressed in her white organdy underwear. Graduation tradition dictated a corset, just like women had worn hundreds of years ago on Earth. It cinched in her waist, made it even smaller than usual. At least the rest helped to plump up her breasts. Salla would never admit it, but she'd always secretly wanted ample sized breasts.

  "You haven't been back in five years."

  "I wasn't asked to come back." Salla tried not to let the hurt from that show. She wouldn't have returned even if invited. She'd been busy absorbing her studies, inhaling the sounds and excitement of the city. "Not that taking a double major allows you much time for a vacation. My mother knew that."

  "She's formidable." Georgette giggled. "She has wonderful taste in pets, too."

  Her mother had arrived faithfully every Visiting Day, accompanied by a brace of strikingly handsome blond males who catered to her whims—and those of the other women in the Academy. For days after Morgena's visits, Salla had been forced to endure the giggles of the other students, the silent displeasure of some of her favorite professors. Was it her fault that her mother kept a breeding farm? That many of the mothers who came to visit left with the men Morgena brought with her? Morgena had no problem selling her stock while also seeing her daughter. Salla was sure Morgena saw it as a combination business and pleasure trip. If Salla herself disappointed her, there was always the profitable compensation of selling off some men.

  "Men. Not pets. Will you forget everything we studied now that you have your diploma?" Salla let some of the confusion, the hurt, the anger out as she snapped the question. She glared at her friend.

  "You always studied that radical stuff much more closely than I did." Georgette shrugged. "Now me, I'm sort of looking forward to earning my first permanent pet once I start work. That is, if Mama doesn't give me one for graduation."

  "Georgie! You'd forget all those years of training Mistresses Stephanie and Tina and Katherine instilled in us?" Salla gasped, genuinely surprised.

  "Oh, Salla!" Georgette looked equally surprised. "That's all theoretical. I plan to live in the real world. Men are pets. Maybe in some historic past, on some other planet, they were different. But this is now and we've all moved on to Prosperity. This is our home and our life."

  "But—"

  Georgette began to laugh as she moved forward, pulling the white graduation gown over Salla's head.

  "Don't tell me you plan to go home to your breeding farm and still hold on to your notions!" Georgette saw her friend's face and swallowed the last of her giggles. "My word, you do!"

  "Of course."

  "You're still a virgin, aren't you." Georgette paused in her task of doing up the hundreds of tiny buttons that ran up the back of Salla's gown.

  "So are you."

  Salla put her chin up and glared again, even while a sudden faint heat on her cheekbones betrayed her. There was no shame in virginity or believing in principles. One didn't force men to service you. That had been taught to her since she first entered school and began her studies in ethics and philosophy.

  Georgette pinned the corsage, a gift from Morgena, at Salla's neckline. She studied the effect for a long moment, unmoved by her friend's scowls.

  "Not for long." Georgette stepped back, her last task for Salla done. "During our graduation weekend everyone shows they're adults. I intend to show my adulthood as quickly as I can."

  "You mean groups of drunken, silly females run out and sexually attack men who aren't allowed to resist. Men who are shipped in by well-meaning but ill-informed mothers for just that purpose. You know how our teachers warned us not to succumb to that! Men aren't just sexual objects."

  "They won't be our teachers anymore. I, for one, will enjoy myself in the traditional way. Some pet is going to be working on unbuttoning my graduation gown tonight." Georgette chuckled again. "The flowers were a nice touch, Salla. I wonder how you can resist any present your mother sends you. She has beautiful, beautiful pets. If you don't use all her presents, may I?"

  Salla looked through her school closet. Nothing was left there. Her packing was done. Her graduation gown was in place.

  "There won't be any pets for me. I informed my mother I don't want any such present. And I intend to go home right after I get my diploma to avoid that part of the celebration." Salla placed the lock on her trunk and shut it, firmly. "It isn't right."

  "Don't you want to use a pet?" Georgette asked, horrified. "Don't you like men?"

  "I—" Salla thought about some of the pets, males, she'd seen, many of which her mother owned. Bare shoulders, bare butts, eager eyes. Strong. Attentive. They'd do anything the girls asked of them when they came to visit the Academy. Anything. Pets adored being caressed. She'd witnessed how much they enjoyed female touch. Pets weren't inhibited and soon many of the presumably virginal students weren't either. Goddess, the things you saw and heard when pets entered the Academy! Hands lingering a bit too long on intimate areas. Moans. Sighs. Rustlings in a corner.

  Perhaps it was fortunate that her mother's visits had always been short. More heat washed over Salla’s face.

  "Salla?"

  She cleared her throat. "Of course. They're very attractive."

  Attractive, yes. Until you saw the collared necks and submissive bows. None would meet a woman's eyes. No. She couldn't enjoy a slave. She simply couldn't. That's all they were when you came down to it. Sexual slaves.

  "So you're going to stick to our teacher's principles while on the breeding farm!" Georgette looked a little stunned. "You are brave, Salla. I could never resist all that temptation. It's unnatural."

  "Come and visit, Georgie." Salla knew her friend never would even as they hugged and clung to each other with a sudden wash of tears. City people rarely ventured out as far as ranches on Aridzone unless they were in desperate need or trouble. Out-country was too far away. "You'll be surprised at what I do once I get home."

  "Ladies?" The cool tones of a professor broke through the emotion. She surveyed the two embracing. "Enough of that sentimental foolishness. It's time to enter the Academy Hall. Your graduation ceremony is starting."

  * * * * *

  "Come…Six, is it?" Morgena beckoned imperiously. Six hesitated, looked over at Arness.

  "He's shy." Arness felt compelled to speak up after meeting that gaze. "A private chamber would be best for his inspection, Patroness."

  "Shy?" Morgena r
aised one eyebrow. "Haven't seen a truly shy one in years. Dorinda—and you, Primary! Take the other three off. They'll go to the doctor tomorrow to check for soundness and disease. I'll take that lot if they check out. But I'm not so sure about this one."

  The crowd cleared the hall, leaving just the three of them. Under Morgena's assessing stare, Six uneasily shifted his feet.

  "He's loyal. Pretty. He's just a bit young." Arness knew Morgena would care for Six better than any of her other buyers. That is, if she could just convince the woman. Morgena had a soft spot, softer than Arness' in some ways, for males, especially young ones.

  "Certainly he's fair enough."

  "Indeed. I know you like them that way."

  "I like 'em well enough. But I chose fair pets so people would remember me and my ranch. It makes for a nice gimmick. Sometimes I think it would be easier to get a few others that look different." Morgena moved forward.

  She held out her hand. Her voice gentled. "Come, boy."

  Six stepped forward, hesitantly.

  "Good fellow. Now I'm going to inspect you. Understood?" She placed her hands on his shoulders.

  Arness prayed Six would understand. His future rested on his present behavior.

  Six lowered his eyes, then spread his legs and arms apart, as the others before him had done. Arness felt the tension between her shoulder blades ease. He did understand.

  He didn't flinch when Morgena ran her hands over his chest, slid her hands up his thighs. He only let out a small sigh when the patroness cupped his balls. Arness kept her face grave but she saw Morgena's absorbed face and wanted to smile. Morgena, too, wanted Six to pass inspection.

  Morgena kept her touch light and slow. Arness inwardly cheered. The breeder knew what she was about. Of course she did. She'd been at her work almost twice as long as Arness had been at hers. Breeders knew what was required to breed.

  Six shifted again, but no longer with uneasiness. He sighed again, his eyes half-shutting. His cock twitched under Morgena's hands then began to swell. It kept swelling.

  "Good boy," Arness mouthed softly.

  She'd felt his cock in her mouth. His size shouldn't have been such a pleasant shock. Arness barely realized she was creeping closer to watch.

  Six's hips thrust forward suddenly, sharply. He knew some of what he was missing now and his body wanted it again.

  Morgena laughed.

  "I should have known you wouldn't trick me, Mistress." She stepped back. "This one is tempting enough to finish off before the doctor certifies him. But I'm old enough to wait. How much do you want for him?"

  Deprived of touch, Six forgot his obedient stance and looked up pleadingly. He cupped his own balls this time, ran a finger down his engorged cock, trying to tempt the woman to finish. Morgena laughed again.

  "He's eager, too, once he gets warmed up." Absently, she resumed caressing him. "How much?"

  "Fifteen thousand."

  "Fifteen! Ha! He's pretty but he's not Adan. Five." The capture moaned, almost pitifully, as he came close to climax, bucking hard under her fingers.

  "Ten. Look how strong he is."

  Six came, hard, spurting long and plentifully.

  "Oh, perdition. Nine thousand units. You're a damned good trader, Arness." Morgena wiped her hands with the towel she had at her belt. "Go. Follow the others, boy. I'll have to give you a real name soon."

  Arness inclined her head, hiding her triumphant smile as Six obeyed his new owner. "You have an uncommonly good eye for wildlings, Patroness."

  "You're dangerous, Mistress. I always end up poorer after seeing you."

  Dangerous? Adan's ridiculous words rang in her head for a moment. She glanced over at Six, who had a beatific smile on his face and his hands on Morgena's shoulders, steadying himself. He was more than ready for a collar to be slipped on him.

  Nonsense. She was born for this work.

  "I'll be back to see to your Adan once I market my last two captures. From what you tell me, Patroness Lavinia has a need for a few workers. One and Two should be quite suitable for her needs." Arness spoke briskly, the niggling bad feeling gone as she planned ahead.

  "A week. I can give you a week. I don't know how quickly m'daughter will be able to get back home, but I want her present as close to ready as you can make him when she arrives." Morgena tapped her finger on her belt buckle.

  "But—" Arness weighed the training fee she would get versus the possibility of not selling her last two captures. "Yes, of course. You may need to keep an eye on your other stock. Adan has created some bad feeling amongst them with his escape attempts."

  "Have they hurt him?"

  "Not badly. But they have no desire to pamper him, either."

  "I'll have someone take charge of his care. Goddess! That renegade's a full-time job."

  "Let my Primary take him on. You can trust him."

  "You'd give up your pet?"

  "Only until I get back. He's a very steadying influence, too. He almost has Secondary in line."

  Morgena laughed.

  "Then I'd hate to have seen him before! That secondary pet of yours is a scamp." Morgena hesitated. "You'd do well to keep an eye on him."

  "What? Has he been making trouble?" Arness knew Secondary could run wild when there were females about. He'd never break the monogamy leash but he could come very close to trying if another woman encouraged him.

  "No. No more than being born to trouble." Morgena shut her mouth tightly.

  "I'll take him with me to herd the captures. That should keep him out of mischief."

  "As long as you're back soon to start training."

  Arness thought of a certain untrained male's angry looks and hard muscles, his refusal to properly submit…and his intent awareness of her. He had kept his body turned from her but she knew when a cock was aroused. She'd seen enough of them. "Oh, I'm looking forward to it."

  CHAPTER THREE

  Arness had already strapped on her knife and was filling her canteen in final preparation for her trip when Dorinda tapped her shoulder.

  "The patroness was pleased," Dorinda told her. "Your captures were brought back early to the ranch. All the wildlings were certified by the doctor."

  "I try to see that they're healthy before I start herding them, but it's good to know for sure." Arness looked at Dorinda. "That's why the patroness isn't here this morning?"

  "She's begun working with one of the new pets already." The two exchanged grins. "She does especially enjoy your picks, Mistress Arness."

  "Excellent. By the way, where in perdition is Secondary?" He often grew lax when they were guesting at a patroness' home, but he'd never been this late in attending her.

  "Shall I send your other pet to fetch him?" Dorinda offered.

  "Yes, please. While I wait I'll have one last look at the patroness' Adan. I don't want him to forget who I am while I'm gone." Arness flexed her feet in her travel boots, testing for comfort.

  "Eh, that one's worth more than one last look!" Dorinda laughed. "Worth a slap and tickle if you can get close enough. He's skittish, though."

  "Skittish? He's cursed contrary. Hostile. Patroness Morgena has given me a large task with him."

  "But you'll train him."

  "No doubt." Arness strode from the hall, her boots loud as they struck against the floor, once again forgetting her civilized manners. Mentally she was already thinking of her life in the bush for the next few days.

  Pampered luxury was all very well, but something about the out-country called to her. She got itchy if she was gone from it too long.

  * * * * *

  "I'll be away for a few days. A week at most. When I get back, we'll start your training. The gentling comes first." Arness used a low, soothing tone. She reached out to stroke his hair. A wildling needed to get used to touch. He needed to understand his orders were not going to be heeded. The female's wishes were all-important. "We'll start with this. You can think about how good it feels to you."

  Adan might not w
ant to respond, but every time she touched his hair, his breath caught. She thought that might be progress.

  Arness cautioned herself not to be too hasty, not to read signs of submission in his quickened breathing. Her own increasing desire might be making her too hasty. Goddess. Was her work making her perverse? Adan's refusals were unnatural. Why was his resistance making her more interested every moment?

  Still, Adan kept his head turned away from her. The swelling in his wrists and ankles had gone down, but the fading bruises still looked a bit ugly. "My Primary will be seeing to you while I'm gone. He'll see you aren't harmed."

  "Yours?" The word was bitter. "You own him?"

  "Of course. He's a good fellow. We take care of each other. "

  "As if he had a choice."

  Arness kept herself from sighing impatiently. These ideas were going to interfere mightily with his breaking in and she had no time now to argue or coax or demonstrate how much a male needed to be owned. At least she'd roused his temper enough to make him talk to her, if not look at her. His sullen refusal to speak had almost been intimidating.

  "It's more complicated than you make it sound, Adan, but of course he had no choice. He's male. So are you. Men are born to submit and obey. Given a good enough mistress they love to submit and obey. Why are you fighting your natural destiny?"

  "Because—" the rest of the angry sentence stopped as the thick door creaked open.

  "Mistress!" Primary sounded as upset as she'd ever heard him. "There's trouble with Secondary."

  "Goddess, is he hurt?"

  "Yes. No. Come with me. Please. Forgive my impatience."

  Despite her distress, Arness checked for any means to escape before she hastily followed her pet outside. She found none. Whatever catastrophe had occurred elsewhere, allowing a valuable pet to escape would not help matters.

  "Is he badly injured? What happened?" They began to stride hastily toward the main house.

  "He'll recover. As to what happened, I believe he ought to tell you." Primary looked uncomfortable.

  Hubble-bubble filled the main hall. Pets and the patroness' female employees rushed about, gabbling excitedly. When Arness entered the hall, silence fell again. Arness looked at the worried faces, her throat closing up in sudden fear. Dorinda walked to her, looking nervous.