Chapter 14

Fiona

T his isn’t going the way I thought it would. Instead of me offering my body in exchange for coffee, not that I’d really deny him anyway, we’re talking about racoons and arses. Fuck. This is not the time for my mind to get away from me.

“Nothing, human or animal, has been up this exit only,” I grunt, doing my best to get away.

It only makes him hold me tighter. The tight band of his arm squeezes so deliciously until I’m completely helpless. No amount of squirming will allow me to get away. I know that much, at least.

The only way I’m breaking free is to use some dirty tips I picked up in the local dojo. That’s certainly not a tactic I want to use. Not yet anyway. Let him think of me as a helpless female. Let all of Icora think I’m without any form of defense. I’m sure it will somehow serve me later.

“My dear little cow,” he groans against my ear, his breath hot and heavy. “How you tempt me.” I twist again, but this time, it’s not to get away. Arousal swamps my senses at his sound of pure, unadulterated need. “Let’s get cleaned up so I can finally use your body as my personal fucktoy.”

That sounds far more heavenly than it should. Pinning me to his side, carrying me like I’m nothing more than a sack to be hefted under his arm, he walks over to a moderate sized square off in the corner of the bathroom. The instant he touches the door, the glass clears.

No longer is it opaque, blending in with the surrounding walls. Craning my neck up, I find I can now see inside it. Though clearly alien, like everything else on this planet, it’s familiar enough to pass for a shower. Just with far more buttons than I’d ever use.

He sets me down and reaches in, fiddles with a few knobs, then steps back. After a moment or two, a robot voice commands us to step inside. Unease drips down my spine as I follow. It’s not the technology, exactly, but it feels far more fancy than I’m used to.

Even with my modest income, I never indulged in nice things, like a state-of-the-art shower. Most of my money went to my parents. I wanted them to be comfortable in Scotland while I wasn’t there.

And that’s when I realize my current priorities are all wrong. Instead of asking for coffee, I should be doing my best to find a way to make sure they’ll still be okay while I’m here. Of all the people this planet kidnapped, I might be one of the worst. It’s not like I’m a nobody.

People will miss me. Others will wonder. When I don’t call Mum on Sunday to chat, she’ll wonder. She’ll worry. Tears gather in my eyes as I stand there, staring at Master Antroli’s blue chest.

Will I ever see them again? These are the thoughts I didn’t let myself think of before, but now it’s all I can focus on. Even when his hot hands skim my body to smear me with what I can only assume is their version of soap, I feel no joy in his touch.

“You’re far away, little cow. What worries you?”

Again, I shake my head, unable to formulate the words. Would he even understand? Do they even have family? “Do you know your mum?”

His hands freeze, holding onto my arms for a moment before resuming his task of washing me down. “She passed several years ago. Why do you ask?”

“My mum is still very much alive.”

“I see.” His voice is tense and tight.

Glancing up, I notice the clench in his jaw. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“It’s fine. How would you know without asking?”

Silence descends upon us as he turns me around and slathers some unscented goo into my hair. His fingers dig into my scalp, drawing a soft moan from my lips. He shouldn’t feel so good. None of this should feel so damned good.

“She was a kind woman,” he eventually says, his fingers never stopping. “Always treated me with fairness. Raised me to be the Icorian I am. Father was always away on intergalactic work, leaving her and me alone for weeks at a time.”

His heavy sigh tugs at my heart, and I find myself feeling for the boy who was forced to watch his family part for long swaths of time. “When I told her I wanted to be a Rancher, she wasn’t enthusiastic, but she didn’t stop me, either. I think she was worried I’d fall for an Earthling at best or catch some incurable disease at worst.”

I can’t help the chuckle slipping past my lips. Try as I might, I can’t hold it in until I’m nearly doubled over laughing. “And here you are, in a showering contraption with one. Whatever would she say?”

Turning me in his arms, he looks at me for a moment before giving me a soft smile. “I think she would have liked you. You have tenacity like her. A strength that cannot be taught, only born with.”

“ Ye are a wee daft ,” I tease, hot flames licking up the side of my face.

“ No daft ,” he murmurs, mimicking my accent with a precision that’s a touch unsettling. “Well, maybe a wee bit daft . But only for you. Always for you.”

A lump forms in my throat as I try to push him away. “You don’t even know me. You can’t claim always to a perfect stranger. Only psychopaths do that.”

He frowns for a moment, his gaze softening as if deep in thought. “I’ll make a deal with you. Give me the full earth rotation cycle. I will show you how perfect you are for me. Who knows? I might even give in to your negotiation as a show of good faith. You never did tell me what you wanted.”

“I- I can’t have it. So just forget about it.”

His lips screw up into a scowl. “I thought you said it wasn’t meat.”

“It’s not. But it’s such a longshot that I don’t even dare-”

“Dare. Try me.”

“And find out at your leisure?” Even as I say those words, a slice of pain sears through my heart.

I can’t allow myself to hope. I can’t dare to dream. Not when I’m completely at his mercy.

With a heavy sigh, he pulls away and opens his arms as wide as possible in the small space. “The worst I will do is say no. Try me.”

“I want to see my mum,” I blurt out. “And I want money to go to her in my absence.”

He stands there, dumfounded for several moments. He simply blinks at me with his jaw slack. “And here I was thinking you were going to ask for some special food or treat. Like coffee or something.”

“Well. I was actually but- Wait. You know coffee? Oh, God. I can have coffee?”

Reaching past me, he turns off the shower without saying a word. Once more, silence descends upon us as he steps out and holds a towel. Did I fuck up somehow? I knew my mouth was going to get me into trouble. Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe this means he’ll just send me back to Earth since I’m so much of a hassle.

My heart squeezes at that thought until I find myself struggling for breath. This is what I want. Right? I want to go back home. I don’t want to be a cow. But then, I’m not just a cow here, am I? I’m his cow. Master Antroli’s.

Fuck. Why does everything have to be so complicated? He walks away from me and steps out into the bedroom, leaving me to dry off by myself. Tears burn my eyes as I wrap the cloth around my hair and twist it into a turban.

Naked, I follow him, stopping short as he pulls up a small screen off on the far wall. His fingers fly over the keyboard, sending symbols I don’t recognize up on the monitor. Makes sense though. I have a translator for their speech, but not for my eyes.

Can’t let us have that much power. Slinking by him, I try to go over to the bed when his hand snakes out and grabs my arm. “And just where do you think you’re going?”

“The bed? I figured you’d want to use me after you’re done.”

“Is that how Earthlings normally communicate with their parents?”

I stand there, shock rooting me to the floor. “I- You’re letting me speak with her?”

“I had to check the regulations first, but there is no mention of communication off this planet. Neither is there anything about sending money intergalactically either on my behalf or on the behalf of a cow. But there will be stipulations put in place if I allow you to do this.”

“Naturally,” I bark out with a humorous laugh. “I don’t ever expect anything less from you lot.”

“Careful,” he warns, his eyes darkening as he turns fully toward me. “I’m only allowing this because you please me. I expect you to continue if you wish to keep communicating. Make no mistake, little cow. I hold all the…” he pauses for a moment, as if searching for the right word. “Cards. As generous as I am, I can turn it off in a second.”

“Yes, Master. I apologize for my impertinence.” I do my best to infuse some sort of respect into my tone, but he and I both know it’s not as genuine as it can be.

“This is mostly to make sure no one comes looking for you while you’re here. I don’t want a manhunt on your behalf from your family. When you call her, you need to tell your mother you’re being sent to another location. One where reception is not guaranteed. You will do your best to get in touch as much as you can, but she should not worry about you.”

A relieved sigh flits through my lips as I nod. “Yes, Master. I can certainly do that.”

“Now, as far as money goes. How much do you send and when?”

“I usually do about three hundred pounds every two weeks. Just to help her and Father with bills and such.”

He turns from me, a frown slashing across his face. After several moments, he smiles. “Certainly doable on my salary. This does mean more of your milk will need to be sold to compensate. I know some others who are willing to be private buyers. While I don’t like the idea of them sampling your milk, they won’t have to know which cow it comes from.”

“Anything, Master.” This time, I’m certainly in earnest.

If he’s willing to do this for me, I’ll be willing to do almost anything for him in return.

“Anything?” This time, his eyes take on a darker sheen.

“I- Well, I guess that depends. What nefarious plan do you have?” His bark of laughter startles me, but soon, he’s back to paying attention to the screen. “Wait. They’re not going to drink from me, are they? Like you do?”

When he turns around, all humor is gone. “No one will ever drink from you like I do.” Well, that’s a relief at least. “Remove the cloth from your hair and climb onto the bed. You will be on all fours. Understand?”

“Yes, Master. But my hair will still be wet.”

He gives me a wink and motions toward the bathroom. I guess he likes wet hair. At this point, nothing will surprise me. But then, As usual, I’m wrong. The moment I take the towel away, my hair tumbles down bone dry.

Though I’m not one to even take complimentary soaps from a hotel, I definitely will need to swipe this when I go back to Earth. If. If I go back to Earth. Turning back to the open door, I watch Antroli, studying his fingers as they fly across the screen. But I have to go back to Earth. I can’t just stay here. Can I?

My pussy spasms at the thought of leaving all cares and responsibilities behind. It certainly would be nice to put the messy business of corporate espionage behind me. True, being a cow for an alien race could be seen as demeaning. What other chance will I get to actually live on another planet and experience life?

Besides, if Master Antroli remains true to his word and doesn’t share me, it’s the closest I’ll ever come to cohabitating with a male for longer than a few weeks to a month or so. Mum always did want me to settle down. Granted, I’m sure she would have rather seen me marry one of the McMurry twins than degrade myself as a human cow.

Closing my eyes, a ghost of a smile teases the edges of my lips. Even now, I can hear her spouting their attributes: strong, hard-working, honest, kind. But honestly, hasn’t Master Antroli exhibited these things as well?

Laughably, he’s also a Rancher just like they are. Only, he farms humans where they tend to actual cattle. Mighty difference, but still the same where it counts.

Thing is, they’ve never sparked my interest. I’ve never wanted to debase myself for their pleasure. Yes, they’re good and kind, but they’re too good. I can’t even come close to imagining getting an all fours and mooing for them, much less pissing on fake grass.

Master Antroli pulls things out of me the McMurry twins never would, and no doubt, never will. While it’s true, the serum has amplified every sensation to the point of almost exquisite pain, I’d like to think my body only responds to Antroli. I’d like to think the hidden desires he brings to the surface are all because of him.

“I’m waiting, heifer.”