Pairing with the Protector Read online

  Was that the purpose of the food? To make their skin glow? Maybe to make them more visible to the judges and the audience at the show?

  Well, what’s the big deal about that? Other than it will probably make it harder if we try to escape by night. But hopefully it will have worn off by then.

  Whitney wondered in irritation why Dood had felt the need to warn Rafe and make her worry all for nothing. So what if her skin glowed a little bit now—why was that a problem? Also, she felt great—tingly all over. And the special food had been delicious—even now she wished she could have some more. So where was the downside to eating it?

  If there was one, Whitney couldn’t see it.

  “And now, let’s move on to the Judgment of Aesthetics part of our show,” the announcer was saying. “And I’m pleased to say we have May-Bell back with us this year—one of our prime tweedle breeders who always has the most interesting offerings when she comes.”

  “Thank you, Tal-Bea,” Mama Tusker said from her place standing behind the cages. “And I’m happy to say I have some really unusual specimens with me today. But first, let me introduce you to a crowd favorite.”

  Her long blue trunk reached over the top of the cage and effortlessly unlocked the door. It came seeking inside like a blind snake and Whitney crammed herself further back into the corner to avoid being captured.

  Oh my God—we’re first and I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing!

  She didn’t mind public presentations at all—if she was prepared for them. And also, of course, if she had clothes on while giving them. But being brought out in front of hundreds of giant aliens in only her Birthday suit when she had no idea what to do was going to suck hard.

  Luckily, however, the trunk curled around Beauty instead. The tweedle girl was extracted from the cage without a peep, her long platinum-blonde hair swaying as Mama Tusker lifted her and placed her on the vast table with its white tablecloth. She just stood there blinking and looking around herself with a dazed expression while the Tuskers ooed and ahed over her.

  “This is my show tweedle, Beauty, for those of you who are new to the show this year,” Mama Tusker announced proudly. “As you can see, her top pelt is long and luxurious—a very rare color. She’s given me five litters in the three years I’ve had her and I expect to see more soon since I’ll be breeding her at the show today. I will be happy to entertain offers for her cubs if anyone wants to approach me privately.”

  A babble of voices broke out—sounding like the side of a mountain crashing down into a ravine to Whitney. But somehow she found the loud noise didn’t bother her so much. She felt more inward-focused now and much calmer than she had a minute before. If all she had to do was stand there and let the Tuskers admire her, the show would be a piece of cake.

  Everything’s going to be okay, she told herself serenely. You can handle this, Whitney—just stay calm.

  And that was when Beauty started reaching between her legs and moaning as she rubbed herself frantically.

  “Oh my!” Mama Tusker burbled. “It seems my little Beauty is ready to conceive a litter right now. Here—I’ll take her to the breeding pen so we can all watch. She always does such a lovely job!”

  And then the long blue trunk curled around the moaning tweedle girl once more and carried her away, depositing her into the empty cage, not far from Whitney’s own.

  “See? I told you the special food makes ‘em horny as hell.” Dood was full of anticipation, rubbing his hands together and flipping his long mane of auburn hair over one shoulder in preparation for what was to come.

  And what was to come was apparently a public breeding, in front of all the assembled Tuskers in the audience, Rafe thought grimly.

  “So she has to be bred—like a female animal in heat?” he demanded, speaking from the corner of his mouth as surreptitiously as possible, as Mama Tusker deposited the female tweedle into the empty cage near the front of the platform.

  “Uh-huh. If she doesn’t get bred, she’ll get sick—maybe even die.” Dood didn’t sound unhappy at the prospect at all. “That’s where I come in. I’ll plow her little pussy good and shoot her full of my cum. It’s the only thing that eases the ache you know—having their pussies filled to the brim with male seed,” he added helpfully, though Rafe hadn’t asked.

  “Those effects sound most uncomfortable for the female,” he said neutrally. “Why does Mama need to give her special food at all? Why not just rely on the tweedle weed—doesn’t it have the same result?”

  “Not right away and it doesn’t force the female to need sex,” Dood said. “This way the breeding is guaranteed and Mama can start taking bids on the possible litter.”

  “Those are your children she is going to be selling,” Rafe pointed out, glaring at the other male. “Don’t you care about that? Don’t you care what happens to them?”

  Dood shrugged. “Even if I did, what can I do about it? Besides, with a Mindless One as a mother, they’ll all probably be mindless themselves. Which means they’ll live the happy, pampered life as a cherished pet. What more could I ask for them?”

  Freedom! Rafe wanted to say but just then the huge blue trunk snaked into their cage and wrapped around Dood’s waist.

  “Wish me luck,” Dood murmured, giving Rafe a wink. And then he too was put into the large cage with Beauty while the watching Tuskers leaned forward on their stools and stared intently.

  The minute she saw Dood—or rather, smelled him, because she lifted her head and sniffed the air deeply as he was deposited in the cage beside her—Beauty came running. Rafe watched in disbelief as she pressed against the other male’s thighs and took his already hard shaft in her mouth, sucking desperately.

  Then she released him and got on her hands and knees, kneeling to present her pussy for his invasion—an invitation Dood wasn’t long in taking.

  As he thrust into her, Beauty mewed and cried, almost like a female cat in heat, backing to meet him as though she simply couldn’t get enough of his cock in her.

  Rafe shook his head at the wanton display. He was damn glad he’d warned Whitney not to eat the special food. If he had been forced to service her the way Dood was servicing Beauty, it would have been damn hard to keep from coming in her and forming a life-Bond, which all Kindred had with their mates.

  And if he formed a Bond with her, he wouldn’t be able to stop from giving his heart, of that he was sure. He was already too close to loving her—he didn’t need to risk getting any closer.

  “Well—they appear to be enjoying themselves,” Mama Tusker announced, breaking into his thoughts, as Dood and Beauty continued to breed. “But now I have something really special to show you. A rare breed even I have never seen before. Behold, my new little female whom I have named Lovely.”

  And then the blue trunk disappeared into the cage next to his and came out holding Whitney by the waist. Rafe watched, his heart in his mouth as she was placed gently down on the white cloth which covered the table-like platform for all the Tuskers to admire.

  Rafe’s protective instincts went into overdrive and he was very aware that Mama Tusker hadn’t properly shut the door of his travel cage when she took Dood out. Whitney was only a few feet away—so close! He had to hold himself back from running to her, not wanting to risk suspicious behavior in front of so many watching Tuskers.

  Don’t worry, he told himself uneasily. Everything is going to be fine—it’s going to be over soon.

  He had no idea how very wrong he was.

  Twenty-Nine

  Whitney felt wrong inside. Well, not wrong exactly, just different. Really, really different.

  The tingling which had been spread all over her body at first, seemed to have moved inwards, centering in the tips of her breasts and the tender area between her thighs. It was almost a throbbing now—an incessant need. She found herself squeezing her legs together tightly to try and ease the ache and made herself stop.

  Everyone is watching you, she reminded herself uneasil