Stealing Shiloh Read online

  Trov is behind me, towering over me. His body casts me into his shadow, cooling my skin, even as his close proximity to my back warms me. It makes me feel tiny in comparison, being surrounded by my huge Klan. None of them are small, which I find exciting and terrifying. I’m also acutely aware of the knowledge that not too long from now, they will all be inside me.

  Publicly.

  I wonder how it works?

  What happens in this…Vultana? I’m scared to know because the anticipation might kill me, but I also hate not knowing, leaving me with no way to prepare. I just hope I can survive what is to come and I don’t let my Klan down.

  Trov reaches out and squeezes my throat for a moment from behind. It hurts, but it also comforts me, and I melt into his touch. Then he lets go, and I stumble forward before righting myself, the paved road rough under my bare feet. I feel like the final surviving girl in one of those horror films—you know, the virgin being led to her death? All her decisions causing her to end up where she is?

  Well, I’m the fucking final girl here, but I don’t plan on dying.

  No, I plan on surviving.

  And I plan on living for a long time with my Klan, letting them worship me. Today is just one day, that’s what I keep telling myself. One day, I can do this.

  As I’m pulled through the crowd, my eyes flick from each alien to the next. I gulp when I see every eye is on me.

  On us.

  They look hungry, licking their lips, displaying their sharp teeth. Some look jealous, their eyes darting from my Klan back to me. Others look angry, their alien gazes flashing with the promise of pain. I gasp, ducking my head to avoid their penetrating stares and scuttle closer to Trov, but even over our footfalls, I hear the crowd, and the whispers there cause my blood to freeze.

  “Did you hear about that human girl?”

  “She’s missing.”

  “Reported last night.”

  “Probably dead.”

  I swing my head around, searching for the source of the rumours. A human girl? As in a Harvest Girl? Surely it’s not one of us…right? But before I can stop and demand answers, I’m yanked to a halt, my head swiveling around to see where the ceremony will be taking place. Absorbing the sight before me, all other thoughts leave my head.

  A colosseum of sorts looms ahead of us, like those we learned about in regard to ancient Rome. Great pillars surround the giant structure, stretching to the sky like skeletal fingers, made up of a silvery stone with streaks of black which makes it even more striking. I can’t stop staring, can’t pull my eyes away from it. The structure has power surrounding it. The building is towering and frankly terrifying, but the feeling it emits…one that’s seeping into the ground and through me feels…holy, of sorts. Simultaneously, I feel like I’m being led to my altar on my wedding day and also being sacrificed by my own death. Here, this feeling, it means something so much more profound than just pretending to sing along to hymns. The stomping and cheering of a large crowd booms as we draw nearer, my mates pulling me closer to the colosseum.

  And then I hear it.

  A scream.

  Not one of pain, but of pleasure.

  My eyes shoot wide, and I stumble, Cryk looks over his shoulder at me and winks. “Is that—?” I whisper, but he narrows his gaze as Nul leans closer.

  “Shh, today is to show that we can control you. If we can’t, they will take you away and give you to another Klan. I know it’s hard, Shiloh, but please, for today, just watch us and let us look after you,” Nul begs. “I swear after I will answer all of your questions.” There is no wavering in his voice, no stutter, his tone low, eyes locked on me.

  “Why? Why didn’t you tell me?” I inquire softly.

  He swallows and looks away, but it’s Joss who answers. “Because we were scared you would say no.” I turn to see him studying me, and the screams sound again in the background, as does the distinctive noise of flesh meeting flesh.

  They are fucking.

  I can hear the wet sounds of their bodies drifting over the crowd and my heart slams in my chest, knowing that will be me soon. I hold onto Joss’s words, keeping my eyes on him so I don’t freak out.

  “We were terrified you would turn us away if you knew, we can’t lose you, Shiloh. We refuse to let you go. In the short amount of time we have spent together, you have become our everything. And now we are asking you to trust us, can you do that?”

  Can I?

  I feel the eyes of my Klan on me, all of them moving closer, blocking the crowd, and all the chanting and screams fade away as I stare into Joss’s hopeful gaze. Can I do this? If I can’t, what happens? I’m given to someone else? Someone who might force this, who might not care that this is what I want.

  I couldn’t stomach the idea of leaving my Klan. Like he said, in the short space of time I’ve become attached. These guys are my family, and they are asking me to trust them. There is only one choice.

  “Okay.” I nod, and I feel them all relax. “But after you owe me answers, and I get to fly,” I mutter, making Trov laugh behind me.

  “That’s my little warrior. Now be silent,” he rumbles, as the screams cut off, finishing in a higher crescendo that almost makes me cover my ears. Then shouting from the crowd joins in. I even see some touching themselves.

  Eww.

  No, don’t look at them.

  “Look at me, Shiloh, look only at us. We have you, we always have you. One hundred percent,” Nul whispers.

  Nodding again, I turn, locking my eyes on Cryk, who spins so his back is facing me. “Show time,” he murmurs gleefully.

  We start moving again, coming to an intersection where we turn left. Cryk tightens the slack on my lead as he guides me into the colosseum. Joss and Nul surround my arms with their massive hands, squeezing me tight as we descend the steps. Trov closes in behind me, the heat from his breath warming my neck.

  I try to ignore the comments and vile calls aimed my way that make me want to hide, surrounded by my Klan. We stop before a set of steps that lead to a huge stage open to the air. I risk a glance up and see the suns of Oxious burning down onto it. Bots rush across the metal, cleaning whatever the previous occupants left behind. My gaze stops on an older-looking Totiv waiting up there, his cruel eyes are locked on us. I cringe when a booming voice comes from his throat, loud enough for all the gathered masses to hear.

  “Klan Avuk, take your place before the board.”

  That’s when I realise he’s not the only Totiv up there as Cryk guides us up the stairs to the stage and stops before a table. That same Totiv gazes down at me from the raised table. He looks aged, old for a Totiv, which is surprising as most of them look young and fit. Scars mar his face, and one of his eyes is milky, his other dark, and the contrast has me gasping. His face changes into one of anger, his thin lips tipping up in a sneer.

  I want to hide, to duck behind Trov, but I can’t, so I stand there as he takes me in and then looks to my Klan as if I was nothing more than cattle.

  What an asshole…or mishan…is that, right?

  I guess if I’m basically marrying aliens, I should swear like one.

  Mishan.

  I like it.

  “Klan Avuk,” he calls, the wrath in his eyes doubling as he speaks. He is one seriously angry panda, maybe he needs to get laid. “Is it your wish to complete the Vultana with this human female known as…Shiloh?” The pause before my name almost has me snorting, what a dramatic bitch, but when he looks at me, I quickly stifle it and stare at the ground.

  The crowd calls out, a chorus of words and voices I can’t make out, but the tone of some are definitely not good. I hear Carmen’s name for a moment and then the word sidekick.

  Wow, rude much?

  My Klan is unbothered, they stand taller, proud when my name is called out, and that settles me. Fuck what the other aliens think, my Klan likes me.

  “It is,” they call in unison, even Nul adds his strong voice to the mix.

  “Shiloh,” the board me
mber calls, and I gulp, looking at the scary Totiv. “Do you freely give yourself, mind and body, to Klan Avuk?”

  This feels important, as if the next words out of my mouth are magically binding. If I mess it up, I know I won’t have another chance. I lick my lips, wetting them and force my voice to come out strong, letting my Klan and anyone else who’s fucking listening know that I want them just as much as they want me.

  Because I do.

  I wasn’t sure before, but faced with the option to choose, I’ve never been more convinced.

  This is what I want.

  I want them.

  Schooling my facial expression, I tilt my chin back defianitly, channelling Carmen, and answer, “I do.” My voice carries, firm and clear, and the crowd gets louder at this. Dirty bastards just wanna see me get fucked, like a free porno for them.

  “Then prove to the board you can control this human,” the stern board member orders, his eye flickering between us. “Claim her before the Totiv gathered here today. If we find your dominance over her to be to our satisfaction, you will be given our blessing and bestowed with a Vultana collar, signifying she’s yours.”

  Wait, what?

  I have to wear a collar all the time?

  Oh, they are going to get it later. I’m going to throw such a bitch fit, they won’t know what hit them, but right now, I hold it back. Does that mean if the board isn’t happy with the show, they might not let us mate? Fuck, we better make this good.

  My heart slams against my chest, my palms sweaty, and I can feel perspiration in places it shouldn’t be. Brilliant. The pressure is on. Not only am I required to have my first experience with my mates in front of a crowd, I have to make sure it satisfies this scary ass motherfucker, or I won’t be allowed to keep them. You got this, I repeat again and again, as Trov’s hand brushes along my back, supporting me.

  Reminding me why I’m doing this.

  For them.

  “If you fail to prove your control, if we deem her faulty, she will either be given to the slave house or…” He looks to the crowd then, playing up the attention. “Taken to the forests, where all unmated Klans can hunt her down for their own use.”

  Oh fuck no.

  I almost faint. That is not fucking happening. I’m not just…just some fucking human blow-up doll where every alien can fill my holes. I start to get angry then, my Klan should have told me this. I get the feeling they were trying to protect me, but they still should have warned me. Definitely going to throw an Oscar worthy bitch fit.

  “Do you, Klan Avuk, agree to our terms?” he calls out.

  They answer in unison. “We do.”

  He sits down then, watching me as if he is ready for me to disappoint him. “Then by all means, begin.”

  Twenty-Two

  Shiloh

  Oh fuck, like right now?

  It’s getting hot, I want to shower. Shouldn’t we be given time to prepare? Maybe some lube? Some alcohol? Shit, I’m not ready. I can’t do this—I can’t—

  I turn, ready to run, but Trov glares down at me as if he can hear my thoughts and nods at Cryk over my head, who grabs me and throws me up the stairs and to the stage. I freeze before everyone, looking out at the amassed crowd as my Klan circles me. Joss and Cryk step to either side and tear the dress away. I gasp, my arms coming up to cover myself, but each one is grabbed by one of my mates and yanked down to my sides until my bare body is on display for everyone to see.

  My face flames hotter until I feel like I might explode, even as my nipples tighten in the cool air. Tears fill my eyes at being displayed like this, but I bite my tongue and push them away, tilting my head back slightly and meeting Trov’s gaze as he stops before me. His eyes run down my naked body, heating just like his skin. His scales swirl in red and orange, looking like a fire is burning inside him. The more he takes in my bare skin, the brighter he burns, until I’m gasping for a whole other reason now. It’s like standing before an open flame, it licks at my skin, and I lean into him before I realise what I’ve done.

  “Focus on us,” he whispers kindly. “Only us.” Even as his hand comes out and circles my throat, hard, cutting off my air.

  “I can’t do this,” I wheeze, and he narrows his eyes again, wings coming out to block the crowd’s view as he towers over me, angry now.

  “You will,” he snarls, then he seems to soften as he takes in my fear. “We swear it will feel good, Shiloh, and once it’s done, we can go home. Please, please, little warrior, do this or we lose you. I can’t lose you.”

  It’s his begging that gets me. Trov is a general, a warrior above all else, and here he is, before his people, begging me not to leave them. To let them make me feel good, to let them keep me.

  “Okay,” I gasp, and he grins.

  He tucks in his wings, not hiding us any longer. My eyes drift to the crowd behind him before he clears his throat and demands, “Mate, look only at us.” His voice is harsh, and I know he’s acting, but it does the trick. I look back at him, and he steps away, arms crossed and face hard.

  “Come to me,” he orders.

  I gulp, unsure what to do, and he snarls, “Get on your knees and come to me!” he shouts.

  Shivering, I drop to my knees, the bang against my shins making me wince before I lean forward and, ignoring the crowd, crawl to Trov. My tits sway beneath me, and my pussy is on full display for anyone behind me. The act makes me feel dirty, used, but I do it. I do it for them. For us. For our future.

  I stop at his feet, eyes locked on his trousers. “Look at me,” he demands.

  I tilt my head back and gaze into his eyes, he looks pleased. “Good mate, now, who do you belong to?”

  I chafe at the comment, but I understand the part I’m playing. “You.”

  He reaches down and wraps his fist in my hair, tugging me painfully to my knees before him. “Who. Do. You. Belong. To?”

  “My Klan,” I cry out, reaching up to try and stop the pain. He bats my hands away, and I whimper. “Klan Avuk!” I scream. “I belong to Klan Avuk!”

  He releases my hair and rubs at my head, easing the sting, then steps back, looking satisfied. I glance over to the board to see them nodding in approval. What does that mean?

  Before I can ask, I hear someone step up behind me, his spicy smell filling my nose.

  Cryk yanks me to my feet and grips my arms behind my back, forcing my chest out, the wrenching pain making me cry out. “Good little mate, show them exactly how we control you, show them just how much you’re already ours.” He drags me backwards, and I look around in desperation, my eyes locking on a contraption I didn’t see before.

  Ropes hang from it with poles at different angles, perfect for tying someone up. And that’s exactly what Cryk does. He binds me, my arms stretched high above until I’m standing on my tiptoes, my body forced to stretch before them. I’m helpless, unable to stop them.

  I’m theirs to do with whatever they want now.

  “Look at her body, look at how she waits for us, her thighs already glistening with her desire!” Cryk shouts, waving a hand down my body. “Look what we do to her, what she allows us to do to her! She is ours!”

  Joss steps to my side then and turns to hide his face from the audience. He smiles encouragingly before grabbing my thighs and pulling my legs apart, exposing my most intimate places to thousands of eager, alien eyes. “Look at how wet her human cunt is for us! She wants us!”

  “Craves us!” Nul adds, strong for once, and I know how much all this attention must be hurting him.

  “Shiloh is our mate, we will prove it, her body is ours to do with as we wish!” Trov snarls.

  Cryk steps closer then and runs his hand down my body, flicking at one of my nipples, making me gasp before rounding over my belly to my pussy. He glides his finger down my slit, wetting it, then holds it up for the crowd to see. “We haven’t even touched her yet, and look at her cream! See how wet the human is for us.”

  He turns back to me, licks his finger clean, and
groans. Watching him suck my arousal off his finger makes me shiver, my pussy clenching in desire. I hate them at this moment, but I also want them. Crave them. I feel empty, my pussy aching with need. Joss grabs one of my thighs and holds me open for him.

  He spreads my slit again, flicking my clit before dipping a finger inside my clenching pussy. “She is so tight, so wet for us, her little human pussy begging for our cocks.” The audience roars as he begins to fuck me with it.

  His thumb massages my clit, his finger sliding in and out of me as he fucks me with it expertly, just like I taught him in my room. I lift my hips, meeting his touch as I cry out. Cryk grins as he pulls away, leaving me empty once again.

  “Please,” I plead, hating how desperate I sound.

  “Hear that? Our mate begs for us!” Trov roars.

  Joss steps closer, tracing his fingers around my nipples. He grazes them, making me cry out, my back arching as much as the bonds will allow, needing him to touch me harder, needing to come. He watches my reactions, his eyes darkening until he finally gives in and twists and flicks my nipples until I’m shuddering and chanting his name, asking for more. A sob escapes my lips when he steps back. I drop my head as tears mist my vision.

  “What was that, mate?” Trov calls.

  “Please, please, my Klan, I need to come. I need you to make me come,” I implore loud enough for the crowd to hear, knowing that’s what they need, but it serves me too, because I’m not lying. I feel like I might explode if they don’t touch me soon, if they don’t fuck me.

  I can see their cocks hard and ready, pressing against their trousers, but they don’t try and fuck me.

  Yet.

  Nul steps behind me, using my body like a shield as his hands snake around my chest to cup my heavy breasts. He twists my nipples skilfully, knowing just how much pressure to apply to make me squirm, while Cryk drops to his knees before me. He throws one of my legs over his shoulder, Joss grabbing the other so the crowd can see my drenched pussy. My face flames, no doubt as red as a tomato. Reflexively, I try to close my legs, but Cryk stops me with a growl, biting down on my thigh before kissing it better.