Branded

Evernight
Publishing ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2015
Jenika
Snow

 
ISBN: 978-1-77233-429-6

Cover Artist: Jay
Aheer

Editor:
Karyn
White

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized
reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
 
No part of this book may be used or
reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All
names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events,
locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

I’d like to thank my
publisher,
Evernight
, for all their help in getting
my stories out

BRANDED

The Rogues, 1

Jenika
Snow

Copyright © 2015

Preface

Thirty
years ago a race of humanoid aliens known as Rogues came to earth in search of
conquest and colonization. With the Rogues’ home planet dwindling in resources,
and their males outnumbering the females, it was imperative that they find a
new home to colonize and make their own.

It
wasn’t until they landed they realized the inhabitants of earth, a small, weak
and
inferior
species, were actually very hostile,
resorting to violence immediately upon the Rogues’ landing. But, it didn’t take
long for the humans to realize they were no match for the bigger, more
intelligent, and technologically superior beings. The Rogues were bred to be
warriors, Enforcers of their kind, and because their own planet was diminishing
in resources, and their males outnumbered the females, conquering the planet
was imperative.

But
while the Rogues had originally planned on destroying every last human, they
realized the weaker species could be used in many ways.

As
the years progressed the Rogues found out the humans could breed with their own
kind, producing offspring that carried more Rogue genetics than human. The
effect was a being superior to humans, but still weakened because of the lesser
species genes. If the Rogues wanted to successfully stay on the planet they’d need
to take the human females and breed with them in order to increase their
population. Viable, fertile human females are used as breeding stock,
caretakers for the half-breed children, and as concubines for the warriors.

But
there are small groups of humans in hiding, and it’s the hunters and trackers
of the Rogues that are dispatched to find them. They must kill the males that
are not of use for labor, and capture the fertile females for the breeding
stock.

This
is the world of the Rogues now, and anything inferior and weaker will be
destroyed.
 

Chapter
One

Greta
stared at the stone ceiling above her, the scent of sweat, the sound of
coughing, shuffling, and of deep breathing her atmosphere. Now twenty-one, she
had been born when the Rogues had already conquered earth. She’d known nothing
different from the world before her. Humans no longer were superior, but then
again she’d never known a world, a life, where humans had freedom, weren’t used
for labor, sex, or as breeders for the monstrously large and dangerously
volatile beings that had taken over their planet.

Greta
had heard stories from some of the elders, the ones that were near death from
old age, but had been around before the Rogues first came to earth. There
weren’t many elders in hiding anymore, but Greta knew that hiding from the very
creatures
intent on taking away humanity,
civilization, and destroying everything in their wake, even if she had to live
in a cave, was better than living in subjugation to the Rogues. She did wish
she’d been around when humans had ruled earth, had seen the technology that had
changed and shaped the world. Now they were living primitively, so isolated and
in the dirt that it was like they lived millions of years ago.

She
sat up, tried to not wake the three people surrounding her. The sounds of
huffing, of moaning, and of clothing being shuffled around had her looking over
to the side, even though she knew what she’d see. Two people were engaged in
sex, the man over the woman, her legs spread wide. This was what Greta’s life
was, had always been, and she’d never known any different.

The
humans cramped in this cave deep in the bowels of a mountain were the only
people she’d ever known.
Ryeccu
, one of the elders,
was nearing eighty. He had lost his wife during the winter months, and she knew
his loss and sadness from losing her would take him soon. He hardly ate as it
was anymore, and to see that kind of sadness over losing someone so loved it
ate away at them, had her feeling for the older man. Then there were
Thindle
and
Frenna
, a husband and
wife that were expecting their first baby. Since living with this camp of
humans in this mountain she’d seen three live births, helped in all of them,
and also seen the devastation of two infant deaths. To say that experience ate away
at a person was an understatement.

“Greta,
you must sleep.”

She
looked over at Jayce. He’d been with her since she was sixteen, watching over
her, protecting her. He was older than she was, maybe in his thirties, although
he wasn’t sure, as was many of the people here. Time just seemed to stand
still, to stop when in hiding. But Greta knew her day of birth was always when
the leaves started growing on the trees.

He
ran his hand over the pallet beside him, and she rested down again, facing him.
She saw Jayce as a brother, but she knew he loved her, wanted her as his woman.
And even if she should have been with him, because being surrounded by people
yet still being alone was bad, she couldn’t be with him without emotions.
Having a relationship with Jayce that consisted of them being physical, sexual,
wasn’t something Greta wanted to think of, wasn’t something she could do.

“You
worry about everyone and everything,” Jayce said softly, and lifted his hand to
brush her hair away. She’d found some vine when she’d been out with the
scavengers last night, and had used it to tie her long dark hair up.

“It’s
hard not to worry when it is that worry that keeps us alive, alert.”

He
smiled softly. His blond hair was on the shaggy side, and his light blue eyes
could be seen, even though shadows surrounded them, giving her this hope that
everything would be okay. The small fire in the center of the cave gave off a
small amount of light and heat, but she had enough hole-ridden blankets and
animal hides on her to stay warm, as did everyone. She also had Jayce by her
side, and his body heat helped the chill stay away.

But
the hunter that was sent out to find food for them hadn’t returned yet, and as
the time moved by at a snail’s pace the more she felt her nerves grow.

“You
need to relax.
Pylix
will be back.”

She
knew Jayce was right, and wished she could be like everyone else resting,
relaxing already. They’d been on the move this time for three days, moving
farther away from the Rogue inhabited cities, and further into the wilderness.
But they never could settle in one place for long, not when the risk of being
found was too great. And they couldn’t try to find a permanent way to hide with
no access to technology.

“I
wish we would have known each other in a different time, a different world,”
Jayce said softly.

She
smiled, knowing she would have loved to know all of these people that she
considered her family. After her mother and father died when the Rogues first
found them, she’d looked up to Jayce and everyone else, not wanting to lose
them either. This was all she knew, they were all she knew, and losing them
meant she’d lose a part of herself.

Jayce
stared into her eyes, and she knew he was going to speak about the color before
he opened his mouth and did just that. “I’ve never seen anyone with such
beautiful eyes, Greta,” he said softly, then leaned forward, as if to try to
kiss her. She placed a hand on his lips, shaking her head softly.

“Jayce,
you know how I feel. I think of you as my brother. I love you, just not that
way.”

He
smiled from under her fingers, and when she removed her hand he took her wrist
in a firm, gentle hold. “It’s just us, Greta, and I know one day you’ll see
I’ll make a good husband.” He kissed her open palm, set it on the pallet, and
turned around. The silence stretched between them, and she rested on her back,
staring at the ceiling again. She’d never feel that way about Jayce, but she
hated seeing his emotions for her, the rawness of how he felt, and not being
able to give him what he wanted.

She
closed her eyes, exhausted, but unable to fully sleep. But as she started
relaxing, the sound of running came closer and closer.

Everyone
instantly became alert, standing, preparing in case the Rogues found them.
Cyrus, the young man that was on lookout this evening, was dripping
sweat, out of breath, and looking terrified.

“What
is it, Cyrus?” Jayce said.

Cyrus
looked between them, wiped the sweat from his eyes, and said, “They’re coming.
The Rogues are coming for us.”