Kyle Wessex, or as his friends called him, Kye. This was day three of his self imposed isolation. See, Kye, was ex-special forces in the Australian military. He'd finally qualified at 23 for the training and spent the next 5 years becoming the best of the very best. That was until one fateful day in Iraq. He was leading his squad of 6, through enemy territory. The mission was simple. Surveillance on enemy compounds and forces south of home base. It was routine. Simple. They'd done it dozens of times before. The rocky and mountainous landscape of the war-torn country made thousands of travel arrangements possible. Simply fly a drone over the area for a quick scout, then his team would follow and collect detailed information. While drones were good, they could only collect a snapshot. They couldn't stick around for days watching the comings and goings.



It should have been routine...



Two days into their march, an enemy battalion rolled through the area. It wasn't normal behaviour. Not expected. Not planned. There was only one reason an entire battalion would be rolling through this particular area... There was a mole... Hell, it could be anyone those days. One of the translators might have a family member being held, hostage. Maybe a local cop was slipped a few hundred dollars. Hell... Maybe they'd simply been spotted by some poor bloody farmer going about his day. It didn't matter. What mattered now, was the trip home.



It was almost immediately apparent that something was very wrong. Our team was able to slip through their screening forces easily enough. But it seemed almost like they knew we were on the move. Like someone was feeding them our general location. Every time we stopped for a rest, we'd have an encounter. Not a violent encounter. We would see them coming and move into a more secluded area.



It was the morning of the fourth day when everything went wrong. We'd barely managed to escape the hills into the grasslands that surrounded our base. That's when the first shot was fired. Sparky, our frontman, and my best friend took the first shot in the base of the neck. I caught the second shot high in the shoulder. We all hit the ground, scrambling into every small depression in the ground for cover. Naively I'd believed that this close to base, the enemy would leave us alone... I walked right into an ambush.



It took 15 minutes for reinforcements to arrive. Those 15 minutes may as well have been 15 hours. When the first APV arrived, I was the only member of my squad still firing back at the enemy. When I woke up from surgery, I'd had three rounds removed from my lower abdomen and shrapnel from a mortar removed from my legs. An hour later, I was informed that I alone survived the attack. Sparky, Don, Michael, Maree and Sam. All gone... All because of me.



There was an investigation of course. In the 18 months, it took for me to recover, physically, they'd found the GPS planted in Sam's radio. Seems it had been playing up and he gave it to the tech team for repairs. The tech team was training a few nationals, one of whom, left his prints on the hidden device. I remember him breaking down during interrogation. The enemy had his wife as a hostage. His instructions were to bug any equipment he could. And while I couldn't blame him for his actions, I couldn't help but wonder if the lives of all my team, were worth one Iraqi woman. It's just one of those questions you shouldn't think about. After all... Wouldn't you do the same? Hell, I still would, and my wife divorced me after my second tour. I don't blame her... She couldn't handle the combination of being alone while I was on special deployment, and me not being able to talk to her when I came home. It ate her up inside and she left. Thankfully, she agreed to a quick settlement, took what was rightfully hers, kissed me goodbye and left. Last I heard, she'd found a new husband. This one worked in a bank, made decent money and doted on her and their two children. I didn't have the heart to be mad.



But that brings me to today. I'd been cleared of all wrongdoing by the military. Some peacock tried to blame me for not radioing in when we first caught trouble. That peacock was quickly discredited when I calmly explained the meaning of 'radio silence.' Since then, however, I'd been given my papers, an honourable discharge, and a pension. It had been a week, and I was going stir crazy in my unit. When my ex left, I'd sold up everything I owned. I bought this cheap unit, put basic furniture in it and invested everything else. With the housing market, the unit was worth almost twice what I paid for it and my investments meant working was a luxury. Problem is, intelligence gathering, espionage and close-quarters combat, don't look real good on a resume.



Hence my self imposed isolation. In three days, I'd re-packed my bags and started walking west. It hadn't been since the morning before when I had heard the last vehicle. This was truly no man's land. The true beauty of Australia, is outside of every major town or city, is isolation. All you need to do is pick a random direction and drive for an hour or so, and you have the whole world to yourself.



So here I am, the sun is setting on my third day. It's nice out here. The air is clear and smells clean. I've just rolled out my swag and I'm currently in the process of getting a small fire started. It's a full moon this evening, I can see it already, just over the horizon. The only thing I missed was a decent meal. I'd brought my survival knife, which had a slingshot for small game. But so far I hadn't found anything worth my attention. But I still had a dozen MRE's.



As I scraped the last of what pretended to be mashed potatoes from the package, I still really had no idea what I was even doing. Sooner or later, I was going to have to turn back. I just didn't know if it was worth it. If I kept going, eventually I'd return to my squad. Eventually, I'd make up for leading them into the ambush. Eventually, I'd atone...



A loud crack woke me. I snapped awake in an instant, reaching for my service weapon... That wasn't there... This wasn't Iraq... We're not under attack... I'm in the Australian outback, 3 days walk from home. And something was moving through the scrub in the dark towards me. Something large, and moving quickly.



"She's over here, circle round!" A harsh voice called out into the night.



Now I could hear several things... People... Running through the scrub. What... The... Fuck...



I dragged myself free from my swag. Pulling on my shirt, I quickly located my knife. If I'm lucky, this is just a pair of pig hunters... Just something about how they described, whatever it was they were chasing as a 'she,' made me nervous. Then a high pitched scream let out. I could have been forgiven for mistaking it as the death squeal of said wild pig. The problem was...



"Please... NO! I don't wanna go back!" The high pitched, obviously female voice cried out.



"Shut up bitch!" A man called out, this voice not as rough as the one earlier. But it was punctuated by the sound of an open hand striking soft skin.



"Jenson!" There's the rough voice, "don't mar the merchandise."



"Please... I'm sorry... I won't run... Just don't hurt me," the woman pleaded.



I listened to the two men, I was certain there were only two. As they tied up the woman and started dragging her back towards the direction they had come. At this point, I figured, whatever was going on, was bad... I wasn't about to let anything else happen. The woman, clearly, didn't want to go with them.



I quickened my pace. It probably wasn't necessary, they weren't moving very quickly. But the sooner I could release the woman, the sooner I could get her away from here. Slipping out from around a tree, I finally caught sight of my target. Two men, one older and grizzled, one younger but very muscular. Typical types to see out in the cattle ranches that were out west. Tough, dependable and not too bright, or at least not interesting in being bright. It was a shame for them I could now see the young woman being dragged by a rope behind them. She was completely limp, a rope wrapped around her midsection, being dragged backwards. As the older man lit a cigarette, I quickly made out pale skin, red hair and she was dressed in torn rags.



Sneaking closer to the group, I was careful to match my footsteps to that of the larger, young man. But honestly, between their conversation and the dragging of the poor woman, I doubted they'd hear anything. But there were still two of them, and I wasn't sure if they were armed. Clearly they were into human trafficking or something, so my chances weren't great. A few more meters and they seemed to stop for a quick rest. I was surprised to see, the woman was still very much conscious. The moment they stopped pulling, she was able to sit upright. Where she froze... She was staring right at me... Of course, full moon, I'm not invisible. I brought my finger to my lips, hoping she'd understand to keep quiet.



She lifted her head slightly and I spotted the slightest smile. When her face hit the moonlight, I held my breath. She was gorgeous... Heart-shaped face with large bright eyes. Button nose and full lips. It was almost as if someone had sculpted her face from a porcelain doll. Before I could recover, she was yanked backwards as the men started dragging again. I had to figure something out, and fast. Looking around, I found a fist-sized rock. A quick heft to check it's weight, and I had a plan. It was stupidly simple, but a plan nonetheless.



I followed just behind the group, ignoring those big bright eyes from the bound woman until I spotted what I was looking for. Just an ordinary old bush. One casual toss of the stone and the crashing sound immediately caught the attention of the two men. Both of whom drew pistols... Fortunately, when I threw the rock into the bush, I stepped in the opposite direction and now I was standing behind the younger man. In one swift action, I drove my blade into the base of his neck. As his body collapsed, I caught him by the arm, retrieving the pistol from his slack grip. The thud of his body hitting the ground was the only warning the older man got before a bullet tore through the back of his knee.



I was on him in an instant. Kicking away his weapon before dragging him a few paces away from the woman, before searching him properly. I ignored the man's screams as I fished a phone, wallet and spare magazine from his pockets. Yanking his boots off, I also found a small knife. Thank you for my training, Special Forces. Yanking off his boots also had the added benefit of causing the man to pass out from the pain. So I finally had some quiet.



"Hello?" Called the woman.



Almost forgot about her... I quickly moved around where she could see me, "are you ok?" I asked.



"Yes... Please... Don't hurt me..." She said with a hopeful smile.



My heart just about broke... She didn't look much older than 18, someone this young, in this country, shouldn't be asking questions like that. "Don't worry, you're safe now. I'm going to get you home where you belong."



She gasped in shock, "NO! Please, don't take me back!"



Now I was confused. "Take you back? Did your family do this too you?"



"What's family?"



I took this moment, to move around and start untying her. "You know, parents, siblings, good old mum and dad"



"Oh," she said sadly. "I never met my mother. She was recycled after I was born."



It must have taken me a moment to process exactly what she had said. But as the ropes finally fell free, I couldn't help but push for information. "What do you mean... Recycled?"



The woman smiled thanks as she rubbed the depressions on her arms from the rope. "After 4 births, the females aren't worth keeping anymore. So they get sent for recycling. I don't really know what that means, but that's what they tell us."



I couldn't really tell what I felt at this moment. This sounded like some sort of human breeding experiment. How this could be happening in Australia of all places I have no idea. "Okay, what's your name?"



"I'm 27586, what's yours?"



"I'm... You can call me Kye. And... Do you have a real name? Or is it just the number?"



"I don't understand" She frowned cutely.



"How about I call you... Rose?" Kye said. He couldn't stand the dehumanisation of calling her by a number.



"Rose?" She said, a little unsure.



"Rose, it's a flower, with petals the same colour as your hair."



"Oh!" She smiled, "if you'd like to call me Rose, I wouldn't mind."



"Okay, Rose, Give me a hand dragging this guy back to my camp. We'll stay there till morning and figure things out."



I quickly took the rope and tied up the surviving slaver... That's what he was, a slaver, and started dragging. It was tough work dragging his heavy form. But Rose, seeing me struggle, insisted on helping. They must have had her doing manual labour or something because she was far stronger than she looked. It was a little tricky finding my campground, but we eventually made it back. That's when I realised there was only one place to sleep. I wasn't about to impose myself on Rose, so she could take my swag. I'd light a fire and make myself comfortable on the ground. The man, I'd tie up and leave close enough to the fire that he won't die from cold.



That was until I told Rose...



"No! I can't take your bed. I'll sleep on the ground, I'll be okay, I promise!" She pleaded.



"Rose... Really-"



"NO!" She interrupted. "I know I'm not very attractive, so you don't have to share your bed with me. But I won't take it from you."



"What?"



Rose huffed. "I get it, I'm not normal and you want to sleep separately. But I'm used to sleeping on the ground with the others. At least if I'm on the ground, it'll feel familiar."



"Rose... I have no idea what you're talking about. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don't want to share a bed, because I don't want you thinking I'm taking advantage of you."



I waited, unsure of her response. I didn't really mean to say that all out loud. It was the honest to god truth, but I probably could have had more tact than that.



She sniffed... Letting out a small sob, she sniffed again and wiped at her eyes. "You promise?"



"Promise what, Rose?"



"What you said, you promise, you meant it?"



I gently sighed, "I'm sorry it came out like that, but I meant every word-urk!"



Rose was crushing me into the mother of all bear hugs. Her face was pressed into my shoulder and I could feel her massive breasts pressed into my chest. Before I could react in any meaningful way, I was shoved back onto the ground by this strangely powerful woman and stuffed into my swag. A moment later, Rose joined me, pressing her body against my own. It was an interesting night. The scent of Rose's skin was slightly sweet. Her body warm and her womanly curves divine. All in all, I was so erect it hurt and I had no option but to lay still as Rose was clearly asleep.



A terrified squeak woke me. Rose was shaking. "No... No... Please..." Rose was having some kind of nightmare. She was still clearly asleep, though shaking with obvious terror. "Please... Master... Master Kye..."



That did it... I rolled in her arms as best I could, before wrapping her in my own. "I'm here, Rose. It's okay."



Rose snorted in surprise, still fast asleep. "Master Kye," she smiled.



"Yes, Rose, I'm here, It's okay. You're safe now."



Rose relaxed, her shaking stopped almost immediately. "Love you, Master Kye."



I held her for a moment more, "I love you too, Rose."



She let out a low, but happy-sounding moan of approval and buried her head into my chest. I just held her, she seemed to be happy. But I doubted I was getting any more sleep now. The sky was already starting to lighten. The tied up man opposite the fire groaned, so I knew he'd made it through the night. Absentmindedly, I reached up and gently stroking Rose's head. That's when I felt the pointy little bump. It was only a couple centimetres long, extending from above her temple and came to a shallow point. A quick shift of my arm confirmed she had an identical bump on the opposite side. Almost as if...



"Mmm. Rub my horns, Master Kye," Rose mumbled, still sleeping.



I was just a little shocked, but I did what she asked and Rose started making soft noises. A minute later, her eyes snapped open. "Ohhhh... That feels so good..."



"Good morning Rose. Um... Why do you have horns?"



Rose took a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes and yawn. "Mmm... We all have horns, Master Kye."



Kye, paused, staring at Rose's honest expression. "Rose, it's just Kye. I'm not your master."



Her eyes started watering up immediately, "B-but... You said... Don't... Don't you want me?"



"What?" I almost yelled. "No no, Rose. I just meant you don't need to call me master. It's just Kye."



She brightened immediately at his words. "I'm sorry Mas-Kye. I didn't mean to get upset. I'll do better, I promise."



I just shook my head. "Rose, there's nothing to apologise for. It's okay. We'll figure this out."



Before she could respond, a harsh voice cut through the air.



"You shut your fucking mouth boy!" The old man snarled from his spot opposite the fire. "You just keep your fucking mouth shut. Not another fucking word. You have no idea what kinda shit you just waded into."



A glance at Rose, and I could tell she was nervous that he was awake. But she seemed to steel her resolve. With a small hug, I pulled away and crawled out of the swag. "Alright, start talking. Who the fuck are you, and where the fuck are the rest of the women?"



"You haven't a single fucking clue what you've walked into, do you boy?" The man snarled. His head twisted around, seeing Rose as she walked up beside me. As she gently took my hand in her own, his face dropped. "You stupid fucker... Now he's gonna kill us both."



"Who? For what?"



"Some rich Asian guy. Calls himself Chiang. And she was his cow, now she's gone and imprinted. Now he's gonna kill us both," the man grumbled.



"Alright. You wanna start talking. I need you to explain everything you just said."



"Or what?"



I just took a step forward and kicked his foot. It wasn't hard, but when you're knee has a bullet in it... Well... It took a few moments before he could breathe through the pain.



"Fuck you," he snarled. I took another step forward, but he held out his arm, "wait! Please... I'll talk."



"Better," I growled before taking a seat. To my surprise, Rose plonked herself directly in my lap. I thought about telling her to get off, but I remembered how quickly she broke down if she thought I was displeased with her. So I let her stay.



"I'm a farmhand. There's only four of us. We look after the livestock," he saw my face darken and he swallowed nervously. "Sorry, girls. We look after the girls. Jenson and I are... Were... The wranglers. We handle the girls when they need to be moved, fed, medicated whatever. Then there's Doc Brown, who makes sure they're healthy and Jim. Jim's the contact for the buyers."



"What about these buyers and what do you mean imprinting?" Kye had an idea, but he wanted it confirmed.



"The cow was to send to this Asian guy. I don't know, we were transporting her to a drop-off. We were meeting with his people and they were taking her from there. But she's fucking worthless now. See, we gotta treat em mean so they don't like us. If we're too nice, they imprint."



I sighed, "you gonna explain imprinting? Or do I have to kick you again?"



The man shot me a hateful glare. "Once imprinted, they can't leave their master. It's to do with their physiology or something, Doc could explain it better. All I know, is now she's imprinted to you, she'll produce and if something happens to you, she'll die. So she's worthless, Chiang won't get her. He's gonna kill you for taking what's his, and he'll kill me for letting it happen."

