Theirs to Correct by Ivy Barrett
Chapter 4
The next eight days passed in a blur of hedonistic pleasure and awkwardness. The entire cadre ate at least one meal with her per day. The rest of the time she dined with Nayez or Lahval. The conversations were always polite, but superficial, which Emily found frustrating. If she had to spend the next year in this house—which thanks to the locater chip she didn’t see a way out of—it made sense to try to become better acquainted with her companions.
Nayez was the most personable. They spent the evenings watching entertainment files and playing immersive games that made Emily dizzy. Lahval frequently worked on the Kobar version of a laptop, so they were in the same room. He was just too busy to speak with her. Brydon spent more time in his office than anywhere else, which wasn’t surprising. This wasn’t just his home, it was Sector Four headquarters.
Having no other option, she pestered Nayez for information about the other two. “I know you guys don’t like to talk about the past, but can I ask some basic questions?”
He chuckled. “Knowing our custom hasn’t stopped you before. Why should now be any different?”
She accepted the criticism with a smile. “Were any of you married before?”
“Marriage is a human custom,” he evaded.
“You know what I mean.” They sat on the sofa in the family room. His arm rested across her shoulders and she was snuggled up against his side. The position was one of her favorites. The simple intimacy allowed her to pretend that she meant more to him than sexual release.
“None of us has ever been in a serious relationship. Life in the military is rather transient.”
Good. That meant none lost a mate or children in the devastation. It was a small mercy considering the losses they had endured, but she’d take it on their behalf. “And now? You’ve been on Earth for—”
“New Kobar,” he corrected.
“Sorry. You’ve been on New Kobar for three years. Have any of you met anyone special?” She wasn’t sure why she cared. In fact, it wasn’t really her business. It wasn’t like they were dating. She was here to meet their sexual needs, end of story. But being with them twenty-four/seven made it easy to forget.
He shot her an impatient look. “Why would we contract a lottery girl if we had connected with someone romantically?”
He was right. It had been a silly question. Most human females, herself included, thought of the Kobar as the enemy. Or she had when she arrived. Unfortunately, it had been years since she had anyone special in her life and she missed the companionship of a romantic partner. She knew she was conflating her emotional needs with the actual reason she was here, but it was hard not to when they kept having sex. All she knew was she had only been here a week and already it was hard to hate them.
All the time she had to herself eroded her bitterness rather than restoring it. They gave her restricted access to the data stream, but inevitably her thoughts drifted back to the little things they did for her. Lahval had left a bathrobe folded on the foot of the bed when she woke up the second morning. Then Nayez had created a menu of female garments so she could go ‘shopping.’ She mentioned that she loved lasagna and Brydon had it waiting for her when they shared lunch that afternoon. Her resentment was melting away and she wasn’t sure how to get it back. What she really needed was to return to work so she’d be too busy to fixate on them. But when she asked Brydon about the possibility, all he said was he’d consider it.
At least their sexual demands helped fill the empty hours, and kept her mind off the glimpses of kindness. She had stopped wearing underwear after the second pair of panties was ripped off. By day three all she printed were simple dresses that she could lift over her head. And still they often just flipped up the hem and went at her like animals. Actually, that was mostly Brydon. He would bend her over the nearest flat surface whenever the need struck him and that was that. The only place he hadn’t fucked her was in his bedroom. He was trying hard to remain emotionally distanced, but she frequently caught his gaze following her with such longing that it made her heart ache.
The first time Nayez restrained her she started sobbing uncontrollably. She had been at their mercy ever since she walked through the front door, yet complete helplessness drove that point home in the most tactile way possible. He didn’t release her, however. He dried her tears then spent the next two hours playing with her, giving her pleasure and causing her pain. By the time he fucked her, still in restraints, she was so desperate for his cock that she would have done anything to be filled by him. The memory still made her shiver and had featured prominently in many of her fantasies.
Lahval wasn’t as overtly aggressive as the other two. He coaxed and seduced her, making her want to willingly submit to dark and dirty pleasures. Late on the seventh night, he used the stimulators to bring her to the brink of orgasm over and over. He let her fuck herself with her fingers, but refused to let her come.
“Please, Sir, oh, please,” she cried as her body convulsed with need. She fucked herself as hard and deep as she could, but her fingers were no substitute for his cock. The sensations faded again and she whimpered in frustration. She had been so damn close.
“I want to watch Nayez fuck you,” Lahval told her. He stood on one side of the bed, Nayez on the other. They were both naked and stroking their fully erect cocks.
“Of course, Sir,” she panted. “Thank you, Sir.” She rolled to her hands and knees, aching so badly she could think of nothing else.
“Offer him your ass,” Lahval clarified with a predatory smile. “I want to watch Nayez fuck that sweet little ass.”
The command was shocking and cruel. He couldn’t be serious. Nayez was massive. She watched his fist slide up and down his long, thick shaft and her pussy fluttered. Not only would it hurt like hell, but it would also leave her pussy empty. She started to refuse, to insist she wasn’t ready to accommodate Nayez’s size. Then an unfamiliar yearning unfurled deep inside her. She wanted, even needed to please Lahval, to give him whatever he wanted. No, the urge went deeper and was darker. She wanted Nayez to hurt her. She met Nayez’s gaze and trembled. For the first time in her captivity, she wanted pain as badly as he did.
Feeling like a stranger in her own body, Emily crawled across the bed and positioned herself in front of Nayez. She lowered her shoulders and lifted her bottom, but that wasn’t good enough for Lahval. “Part those cheeks, sweet slave. Show him where to put it.”
Her hands trembled as she reached back and pulled her cheeks apart. They had used this position to humiliate her in the past. Tonight it felt oddly empowering. She was offering her body for their use, willingly giving rather than reluctantly allowing them to take.
Nayez coated her dark hole with lube then positioned himself against her. “This is going to hurt.” His sensual tone made it sound more like a promise than a warning.
“I know.” She quickly moved her hands back to the bed and took several deep breaths. She wanted this. For reasons she didn’t understand, she needed it.
He drove inward with slow, steady pressure. She clutched the bedding, but kept her bottom nice and relaxed. Her opening stretched, burning with steadily escalating fire. She cried out sharply, unsure if she could take all of him. Someone activated the clit stimulator, easing her moment of uncertainty. The distraction was welcome, but not enough to wash away the burn. Nayez pushed again, sliding deeper into her back passage.
It was all too much and a climax came barreling toward her. “I’m going to come. Please!” The orgasm hit before they could give her permission, but she didn’t care. Nothing mattered but the savage pleasure and being filled by her second mate. Sensations burst with blinding force and her body convulsed around Nayez’s cock.
“Fuck,” he growled out and drove his entire length into her. Gripping her hips firmly, he drew nearly out.
She braced her legs as he started to thrust, each long stroke making her moan. The stimulator stopped pulsing, allowing her to focus on the overwhelming slide of Nayez’s cock. Her ass was so full that it amplified the hollow ache in her pussy. This would feel so much better if they’d taken her together.
Nayez didn’t last long. He fucked her faster for a moment then came with a strangled cry. When the warm jets of seed hit her inner walls, another blinding orgasm detonated inside her. She screamed, shuddering violently as the pleasure blurred reality.
Her body was still rippling with aftershocks when Nayez pulled out of her ass. Half a second later, Lahval thrust into her pussy and fucked her even harder than Nayez. It surprised her at first. Lahval was never this forceful. He preferred to make it last for hours. He pounded into her, shaking her entire body with the jackhammer rhythm of his hips. He came even faster than Nayez, and again his orgasm triggered hers.
Panting harshly and stunned by the intensity, all three fell asleep in a tangle of naked limbs.
But the next morning Emily woke up alone.
As usual.
She got out of bed and pulled on her bathrobe. Her body was still tender from their vigorous use. All of her males were aggressive lovers, but last night was different. Lahval and Nayez had been frantic, almost feral. She had never seen them like that before. And what the hell happened to her? How did she explain her bizarre behavior? She hadn’t just processed pain as pleasure. She’d been doing that since her arrival. She sought out the pain, invited it, craved it. Something was causing these urges, and she needed to know what.
It had become her routine to ask permission to bathe before she went to sleep each night, so she enjoyed a nice long shower before going downstairs. She donned one of her pull-on dresses then went in search of Lahval, but the only one still in the house was Brydon.
He looked up as she reached the doorway to his office so she paused. “Good morning. Where did everyone go?”
“We intercepted a message indicating the location of a rebel attack. Nayez and Lahval took a strike team to check it out.”
Emily intentionally kept herself ignorant of specific attacks. She supported the resistance through her foundation, but it was important that she remain separate from the actual fighting or the orphans would suffer. And truth be told, they needed her more than Vixen did. Besides, anything Vixen wanted to know she could learn from Charlotte. Charlotte was monitoring all sorts of government computer systems and reporting her findings to Vixen. Emily had no reason to be directly involved. “Where did they attack?”
His gaze narrowed and his expression hardened. “Did you need something?”
She didn’t care where the rebels had chosen to attack. She’d just been making conversation. “I did, but it can wait. Obviously, you’re busy.” She turned to leave.
“Emily,” he called with a sigh. “I’m not any busier than usual. What can I do for you?”
Brydon was the last person she wanted to have this conversation with, but he was most likely to have the answers. So she put her big girl panties on and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. It had taken about ten minutes with him to realize he respected directness. She came right to the point. “My sexual appetites have changed significantly since my arrival. I suspect that there is a reason beyond your physical appeal. Do you know why I’m reacting this way to you and your cadre?”
“I do, but it will make you angry, and I will correct your behavior if you lose your temper with me. It might be best to have one of the others explain this to you.”
She thought about it for a moment. What in the world could he be about to tell her? It didn’t matter how horrific she found it. She had to understand why she was acting like a sex-starved pain slut. If it led to another spanking, so be it. She’d probably enjoy it anyway. “I understand the warning, but I’d rather hear the explanation now.”
He accepted her decision with a nod. “As you likely know, a psychic bond is necessary for the Kobar to create offspring with human females. Before this link can be formed, the female’s DNA must be altered slightly. The connection does not ensure offspring, but offspring is impossible without it. It is also important for you to understand that the link cannot be forced. The female must accept the bond willingly.”
Trepidation dropped like a stone into the pit of her stomach. Breeding rights required a separate negotiation and there was no way in hell she would ever agree to be bred. Unless these bastards had changed the rules—again. “What does this have to do with me? The process you’re describing requires a series of injections.” Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her upper arm. “Nayez gave me an injection the first night, but he said it was a locater chip.”
“It was. The injections are no longer necessary. Highly specialized nanites were released into the drinking water and food supplies all over the planet. Every female in her twenties, unless she lives somewhere incredibly remote, is now a potential mate for Kobar warriors.”
Emily stared into his eyes as white noise filled her ears. “That’s not possible.”
“Maybe not for humans. With our technology, it was not even difficult to achieve,” he countered.
She shook her head, refusing to accept what he was saying. “If these nanites were dumped in the water and food supplies, how can they only affect females in their twenties? Wouldn’t everyone ingest them?”
“Nanites are microscopic computers. They have been programmed with very specific criteria. The nanites only target females, she must be in her twenties, and we prefer she not have born children already. If even one of the criteria is not met, the nanites are flushed from the body without interacting in any way.”
She understood what he was telling her though it seemed more like fantasy than science. “How would the nanites know if she’s married?”
“If she has a mate, she is not eligible for the lottery,” he reminded.
Her mind was spinning, or more like grinding as she tried to make sense of the information. “Why would you do this? Why take away the one choice we had left? This is… evil.”
“We are fighting for the survival of our species,” Brydon argued, his tone cold and inflexible. “Let me stress again, nothing is forced on the females.”
Pushing to her feet, she moved behind her chair. His desk wasn’t barrier enough. “You changed our DNA without our permission. How can that be described as anything but force?”
Brydon shook his head and released a sigh of frustration. “We created a potential, some hope that our species would survive. Humans would do no less if they were threatened.”
His words gradually penetrated her shock and anger. The human race had done some pretty vile things with far less of a reason than impending extinction. Progress was often made at the cost of the less powerful. She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling more vulnerable than she had since her capture. “Then—breeding me is your actual goal?” She had to force the word out past the massive lump in her throat.
“We are speaking in general terms.” Brydon stood up and slowly walked toward her.
Emily raised both hands and backed away. “That’s not an answer. Could I be pregnant already?”
“A breeding link cannot be forced on you or any female,” Brydon reminded. “All the nanites do is make the link possible.”
Like a camera lens slowly turning until the scene came into focus, the past week finally made sense. “I don’t know about your first claim, but your second is utter bullshit. This is more than a genetic possibility. I’ve felt the difference for myself.”
“Watch your tone,” Brydon warned as his expression iced over. “Your heightened emotions are understandable, but I will not tolerate disrespect.”
She averted her face and took several deep breaths, struggling against her temper. This was important. She needed to understand all the ramifications, not just for her but for every female on Earth. Clearly, the Kobar had no intention of warning human females that this had been done to them. If she gave in to her anger, Emily had no doubt that the supply of information would stop and her next spanking would begin.
Resenting every word, she said, “I apologize for my outburst. Please continue your explanation.”
Brydon accepted her apology with a regal nod that made her want to slap him. “There must be a natural attraction between the female and the Kobar males or the metamorphosis does not engage.”
“What does that mean specifically? What happens when? Can this alteration be reversed?”
“The change happens in stages. Once the nanites have verified that they are in an appropriate host, they create the potential I mentioned before. If the female encounters Kobar males that she finds attractive, her body chemistry triggers the new characteristics.”
“And if she finds Kobar males in general attractive, what then?” She knew the answer. She’d been living the ‘new reality’ ever since she first walked through the front door.
“Her responses are proportional to the attraction. The more appealing she finds each male, the stronger she will react to him.”
That was common sense, but it didn’t account for the other changes she had noticed. “Please break it down for me. What specifically are you talking about?” She knew damn well what he meant. She just needed to hear him say it.
“Sex will be more intense and she will find sensations pleasurable that she might not have without the transformation.” He moved toward her again, his tone low and caressing. “The things that please us will now please her also.”
“You’re talking about pain.” She could almost feel Brydon’s hand cracking against her behind and feel the stretch as Nayez pushed his cock inside her ass. The fiery sting drove the breath from her lungs and still she wanted more. Her passages tightened and heat spiraled through her belly, making her long for dark, painful pleasures. “You’ve turned every female on Earth into a m-masochist?”
“It is not that simple,” Brydon insisted. “The metamorphosis affects each female differently. Just as we are all different, our mates need to—”
“But you’ve made us more like Kobar females, correct?”
“Yes.” The finality in Brydon’s voice warned her to stop arguing but she was too angry to listen.
How could she forget for even one moment that they were enemies? They were systematically converting Earth into New Kobar. Humans would either conform or die. “So what happens to human males? You might have noticed that there are still a few billion of those around. Do they have to start spanking their lovers and fucking them fast and hard or do you have another set of nanites for them? You don’t want to live in peace among us. You want to transform every fucking human into a Kobar clone!”
“That’s enough!” Brydon clasped his hands behind his back as his gaze narrowed. “You were confused by your body’s reaction, and I felt you had a right to know. Don’t make me regret my generosity.”
Generosity? The male was deluded. She took a deep breath and steadied her voice. “This is so unfair. You’re using passion as a weapon.”
“Passion has always been a weapon, and this blade slices in both directions.”
She shook her head. “It’s almost impossible to resist you. This is a date rape drug.”
He stalked toward her, gaze drilling into hers. “The comparison is dramatic, but inaccurate. You are every bit as intoxicating to us as we are to you. Do you have more questions? My patience is at an end.”
Refusing to be intimidated, she held her ground. “Are there still potential mates and lottery girls, or are they now one and the same?”
“That has yet to be determined,” he admitted. “Jesorax wants to see how many of the cadres succeed in claiming their potential mates before he makes changes to the existing program.”
She only had one question left. “Do you intend to breed me?”
Brydon shook his head then released a sigh. “It is the fervent wish of every Kobar warrior to claim a mate and produce offspring. So the answer to your question is yes. We desperately want children. However, you must willingly bond with us for that to happen. What we ‘intend’ is not nearly as intimidating as you make it sound. You must willingly accept our claim.”
His words fueled her determination. Her chin came up and she looked into his eyes. “I will never bond with you, so you might as well release me now and start over with someone more malleable.”
Brydon chuckled as he stroked the side of her face. “It’s not wise to challenge a Kobar warrior. It will become his purpose in life to prove you wrong.”
* * *
“It’s too damn close to home. Pick another target,” Sam Caldwell said emphatically.
Vixen agreed with him, but it wasn’t his decision to make. Sam had always been assertive. Twenty-odd years in the military would do that to a person. But he was starting to overstep on a regular basis and Vixen couldn’t have that. “What is the exact location of the warehouse?” It was unlikely she would change the decision, but making it appear as if she were considering it reestablished the fact that the final say was hers. She would remind Sam of that fact after Jacob left the room.
Jacob was at least ten years younger than Sam, but they both had world-class egos. “It’s roughly halfway between Canon City and Cripple Creek off Phantom Canyon Road,” Jacob explained, pivoting in his seat so he faced her rather than Sam. This wasn’t the first time the two men had clashed and it was likely not the last. They were too much alike for any other outcome.
The location sounded really familiar, but it took a moment for her to realize why. “Are you talking about the old Delacroix place?”
“Yes.” He rolled his eyes. “Should I come back when you’re less distracted?”
“Watch your tone,” Sam snapped.
She appreciated the defense, but Jacob was right. She was distracted. Team six’s new campsite had been raided last night. All but two of the fighters escaped, but they lost a massive weapons cache that the resistance couldn’t afford to lose. All in all, it had been a really shitty week. “None of our attacks can link directly to the Delacroix family or we will lose their support. I thought I made that clear to everyone. You will have to choose a different target.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jacob rested his forearms on the tabletop and leaned halfway across the table. “You’ve been bitching about collateral damage for almost a month now, so I found a target where there is zero chance that anyone will be harmed. The charges are set and ready to go. I have a lookout in place with instructions to trigger the explosion as soon as their strike team is onsite. There is no cell service in that fucking canyon. I’m not sure I have time to drive out there and call it off. The sun is about ready to set. I’m not sure I could even find him!”
She rubbed her forehead as she debated what to do. “You should have checked with me before you—”
“If you want to lead a revolution, you need to answer your goddamn phone! I tried more than once to reach you. There was no answer as usual. That’s when I called Admiral Scott. He approved the location.”
“If you are unable to reach Vixen, you call me,” Sam snarled. “Lenard Scott is not a part of our leadership team and he knows it. He doesn’t have the authority to approve anything.” Sam looked at her and expressed his frustration with an intense glare.
Lenard Scott was a thorn in both their sides. The old man meant well, but he had been in command for so long that he couldn’t get it through his head that he was no longer the one making decisions. Worse, when he disagreed with what the leadership team decided, he simply made his own arrangements. For the most part, their goals aligned, but his level of aggression was increasing while Vixen found herself pulling back.
Jacob pushed back from the table and stood up. “What do you want me to do? I’ll have to drive like hell, but I might be able to get there in time.”
She looked at Sam and then sighed. “It will be dark by the time you drive out there. The attack stands.”
“It’s not a target I would have allowed, but it could work to our advantage if we attack something owned by the Delacroixs,” Sam pointed out. “It might look as if we are sending them a message.”
“Cooperate or else?” Jacob suggested with a smirk.
“Exactly.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound like we have an option.” She nodded toward the door to the private dining room, at least that’s what the room had been while the hotel was still operational. “We have other issues to discuss, Jacob. Thank you.”
He shot her a dirty look, but departed without further argument.
“We need to do something about him,” Sam grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. “We need to do something about the Scotts too.”
“Like what? Dock their nonexistent pay? That’s the problem with volunteer militias. There is not a lot of recourse when conflicts arise.”
“There has to be a chain of command, even in a volunteer militia,” Sam argued.
“I agree. And Lenard Scott is not the only one who keeps forgetting.” She was glad he’d brought it up so she didn’t have to. “Until Chris returns, I’m the top link on this particular chain. You are my lieutenant, not the other way around.”
Rather than apologize, his chin lifted and his gaze turned cold. “Maybe it’s time to change that.”
She paused for a deep breath before answering the challenge. “I never asked for this, don’t really want it. However, the people trust me. They see me as an extension of Chris. You do remember Chris, the actual leader of this resistance? If you honestly think the fighters will accept your orders with less argument than mine, have at it. I will focus entirely on scientific development. The rest of this is just distraction anyway.”
For a long, tense moment he just stared back at her. Was this some bullshit macho thing? Two days ago she made it clear that she had no intention of ever sleeping with him and suddenly he challenged her authority? Whatever the cause, he needed to freaking get over it.
“Have the scientists made any progress?” Apparently, he’d decided to move on. “It’s been several weeks since I’ve seen an update.”
“They keep sending reports. Unfortunately, they just state that the latest variant is just as useless as all the others. We have to figure out a way to rescue Chris. I don’t think his team can do this without him.”
Sam scoffed as he pushed back from the table. “And all we need for that mission is a spaceship.”
What little information they had been able to uncover indicated that Chris was onboard the Fetcossa, the supreme commander’s ship and headquarters. It would have been foolish to leave him on Earth. Chris Phaeton had come closer to ridding humans of their Kobar overlords than all of the militaries of the world combined.
“What would it take to steal one of their shuttles?” she mused. “I’ve seen Kobar crews walk away and leave the hatch open. They don’t seem concerned about sabotage or theft. The shuttles are largely automated. How hard would it be for a human pilot to operate one?”
“Kobar shuttles are tuned to the DNA of the approved operators,” Fanaris said half a second before he became visible.
“It’s creepy as hell when you do that,” Sam muttered with a shudder. “Finish fading in before you speak.”
Fanaris ignored him and focused on Vixen. “The only way to steal a Kobar shuttle would be to take the pilot hostage.”
“And I’m sure there are a million ways for the pilot to sound an alarm while he’s operating the shuttle,” Sam countered. The two males couldn’t stand each other and refused to pretend otherwise.
“We can discuss this at more length in private,” Fanaris told her. “You asked me to notify you immediately if I could confirm the existence of some sort of list targeting human females. Not only was I able to confirm its existence, I have a copy of the list.”
She wasn’t surprised. Fanaris had yet to fail at any task she assigned him. “That’s wonderful. How many names are there?”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Sam wanted to know.
“SC Byrne rescinded the exemption to the lottery and the same night several influential females were selected during a process that is supposed to be random.”
“Like Emily Delacroix and Marissa Scott?”
“Exactly. I asked around and found out about six others who were clearly targeted.” She looked at Fanaris and asked, “How many names are on the list?”
“One hundred. Twenty-six have been claimed by sector leaders, ship commanders, or others known to be favored by SC Byrne.”
Vixen shook her head. She’d anticipated as many as twenty-five, but this was terrible. “Then these forced marriages are going to continue for a while. Are all of the females American?”
“No. Influential people all over the planet have been targeted through the females on the list. And they are not all in government. Some are captains of industry, celebrities, even religious leaders.”
“Does the general population know about this?” Sam looked horrified.
Vixen was surprised by his reaction. “Why would they care? The general population has been subjected to this bullshit from day one. From their perspective all Byrne did was make it fair.”
“Fear that my sisters would be called up for civil service is one of the reasons we joined the resistance,” Sam admitted. “Both of them would rather be dead than be fucked by those Kobar monsters.”
And one of his sisters had died for the cause. Vixen couldn’t help wondering if her opinion would have changed if she’d actually spent time with a Kobar warrior. Vixen had met several while gathering recon for Chris. They hadn’t been mindless animals. Like any soldier alive, the vast majority were just following orders. It was the sector leaders and the supreme commander that were responsible for the way humans were treated.
“I’m going to go study the list,” she told Sam, “see if there is anyone on there who can be of use to us.”
“Understood.”
She made it to the door before his next question stopped her.
“What are you going to do about Lenard Scott?”
“This isn’t the first time he stepped on our toes. I think it’s time for a trip to Dallas.” Even if she drove there and back without risking an overnight stay, it would burn an entire day for one conversation. It was an eleven-hour drive one way. Unfortunately, telephones were out of the question and this was too serious for an encrypted email. The Kobar had captured her voice print years ago and had been able to detect her even while her voice was modulated. Sometimes their technology could be a real pain in the ass.
“I can go, if you want. It’s a hell of a drive.”
So the Scotts would respond to his authority rather than hers? “No, this needs to come from me. Besides, I still have several balls in the air. I need you here to juggle them.”
He smiled, though the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Will do.”
“Thanks.” She walked from the dining room, Fanaris at her side.
“You spurned him and now he is scheming for a way to humiliate you,” Fanaris warned, echoing her earlier conclusion.
“He’ll get over it, or I’ll deal with it. What choice do I have?”
The undamaged side of his mouth curved, forming a predatory smile. “I can deal with him for you. Maybe send him on an errand that results in his arrest. Just speak the word and I will make him disappear.”
“I’m really hoping it won’t come to that.” She dismissed all thoughts of Sam as her mind drifted back to her stepfather. “So, tell me more about the possibility of stealing a shuttle and rescuing Chris.”
“I would be able to control the pilot well enough to ensure that he flew us to the Fetcossa,but that is where the real challenges would begin.All it would take is one scan and the Fetcossa would know that a shuttle full of humans was approaching. That would be highly suspect.”
“Well, reaching the Fetcossa is farther than I can get on my own. Let me think about the rest. God knows I’ll have plenty of time to brainstorm while I drive to Dallas and back.”
* * *
Nayez signaled the strike team leader to break in the door of the warehouse. They’d located the small structure in the wooded hills southwest of City four-four-seven. They were less than one hundred human miles from Sector Four headquarters, but that didn’t surprise Nayez. The rebels had grown bolder with each successive raid. It was obvious Vixen was intentionally provoking Brydon, mocking his failure to stop her. Well, Nayez was more directly affected by her actions than Brydon. Locating the wily bitch was his responsibility.
The message they intercepted gave them the general area of the attack, but it took hours to locate the most likely target. In fact, it was the only target. There was nothing else out here but rocks and trees. There didn’t seem to be anything remarkable about the building, so why would the resistance target it? Maybe the recon team misunderstood the nature of the event. It was much more likely that the rebels would soon arrive with supplies and weapons to stash inside the warehouse, or to retrieve something they had previously stored there. Either way it was an opportunity to apprehend someone that could provide more information.
The door buckled with one pulse from the concussive blaster and the strike team rushed inside. There were no life signs inside the warehouse, so Nayez thought their weapons were overkill. Still, it never hurt to be cautious when entering an unknown environment.
Trepidation tingled down Nayez’s spine as he moved toward the shattered entrance. Something about this didn’t feel right. Glancing around, he searched the trees for movement or anything out of the ordinary. The sun had set about twenty minutes ago, but moonlight silvered the clearing. Lahval had their shuttle in close orbit so he could monitor the scene with the ship’s scanners. “Is everything still quiet? My instincts just engaged.”
“Nothing to report,” Lahval assured him. “I think this was a waste of time.”
As if to mock the conclusion, a violent blast knocked Nayez off his feet and slammed him against the ground. Lights sparked in front of his eyes and his muscles refused to respond for one helpless moment. Pieces of the warehouse flew off in every direction, followed close behind by a massive fireball. Survival instincts forced his sluggish body to move. He rolled to his side and covered his head with his arms, curving into a protective ball as debris showered down all around him. Something sliced into his calf, dragging a cry from his throat then his back and side exploded with searing pain.
Focusing on his soldiers, he forced down the agony and dragged a much-needed breath into his lungs. Had the strike team sensed the danger or were they trapped inside? This was the third attack in the past month that resulted in the spilling of Kobar blood.
He allowed himself one frustrated scream then forced his body to move. He rolled to his hands and knees and slowly raised his head. Even the subtlest motion spread fire across his torso, but he blinked back the pain-induced haze and assessed the situation. The warehouse was a conflagration, the roof gone, walls teetering precariously.
Emotion clogged his throat and his fingers dug into the ground. Those fucking rebels! The chances of anyone surviving the blast were infinitesimal. Still, he had to check. “Lahval, are they—”
“The only life sign left is yours,” Lahval confirmed, voice shaking. “I’m pulling you out.”
The disorienting rush of molecular transportation momentarily dulled Nayez’s pain. He materialized on his hands and knees in the aisle of the shuttle.
“Holy fuck, your back is shredded.” Lahval rushed over to him and helped him onto the nearest seat. Then he hurried to the compartments in back and grabbed a stack of towels. “Your side is even worse. Lean against these and hold this one against your side. Put as much pressure against them as you can stand.” He positioned the towels and waited for Nayez to comply with the instructions.
Nayez hissed as the lightest pressure sent excruciating pulses through his back and side.
“Harder or you’ll bleed to death before I can get you to Brydon. Blood is pouring out of you.”
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Nayez braced his feet and pressed back into the towels with all his might. Then he used his arm and his opposite hand to force the towels against his side.
Lahval sprinted to the pilot seat and set the shuttle in motion as quickly as possible.
Nayez felt darkness starting to close in around him and pressed back into the seat. Agony flared along the entire length of his back, burning away the gloom. But freeing his mind of the protective fog restored focus to his thoughts. Six more Kobar lives had just been snuffed out because he’d failed to anticipate the danger. Pressing back even harder, he welcomed the punishing pain.
“You still with me?”
“Barely,” Nayez groaned, fighting off waves of nausea. His head was swimming and bile burned the back of his throat, but he stubbornly kept pressure on his injuries.
Anger required energy and his was eroding fast. Thinking about the strike team was even more exhausting, so he summoned Emily’s lovely image and let her smile and the smoldering heat in her dark eyes comfort him. She was still just a possibility, but what an amazing possibility. Smart and adaptable, spirited yet submissive, she was everything he’d ever dreamed of in a mate. But winning her would not be easy. It would take time and effort, creativity, to convince such an independent human to surrender control to three Kobar males.
“Are you keeping pressure on those towels?” Lahval asked, fear obvious in his tone.
“Fuck off. I’ll die if I want to,” he snapped, assuring his friend that he had the strength of will to keep on fighting.
Lahval glanced back at him and smiled. “Good answer.”
They arrived twenty minutes later and Brydon rushed onto the shuttle as soon as the hatch opened. “What the hell happened?”
“It was a trap,” Lahval told him grimly.
“We should have seen it coming,” Nayez muttered, barely conscious. “I should have seen it coming.”
Lahval converted one of the bench-style seats into a simple bed then Brydon and Lahval supported Nayez as he stumbled to the bunk. Nayez lay down on his stomach, head turned sharply to one side. Brydon cut what was left of Nayez’s shirt open then Nayez felt warm splashes against the shredded flesh of his side and back. Blood. Brydon’s blood had regenerative properties. It worked faster and more completely than any medical treatment Nayez had ever undergone. Brydon ran his fingers from the base of Nayez’s spine to his tailbone and waves of soothing heat spread out across his entire torso. He greedily absorbed the heat into his tense muscles and let the numbness steal over his mind. Brydon had healed him before, so Nayez knew the intoxication didn’t last long but he needed a moment of peace before he faced yet another tragedy.
As the pain in his upper body subsided, Nayez became more aware of his calf. “Could you take a look at my leg? I didn’t think it was serious. Now I’m not so sure.”
Brydon cut Nayez’s pant leg and examined the wound. “Whatever sliced you open is still in there. We need to get you inside. If we support you, can you walk or should I go get a hover cart?”
“I can walk.” Nayez regretted the decision halfway to the door. Even with his cousins taking part of his weight, each step Nayez took sent searing pain stabbing up his leg. By the time they reached a chair in the front room, he was lightheaded and once again fighting not to throw up.
Lahval dashed off toward the other end of the house, likely to retrieve the medkit from the utility room.
“Oh, my God,” Emily cried as she rushed into the room. “What happened to his leg? Why is his shirt in tatters?”
The rest of the room blurred as Nayez’s gaze focused on Emily. She was so damn beautiful with her pale hair streaming over her shoulders and those big dark eyes wide with concern. His chest tightened, his pulse sped, and his pain just faded way. Brydon’s healing touch had had something to do with Nayez’s reaction, but Emily was addictive. Nayez wanted to bury his hands in her soft strands and pull her face down to his. He’d kiss her long and deep as he slowly buried his cock in her wet pussy.
Annoyance crept into her expression as she waited for someone to answer her.
“The rebel ‘attack’ was a trap meant to kill as many of us as possible,” Brydon told her, his voice cold but calm. He turned back to Nayez. “How many did we lose?”
Shaking away the lustful haze, he forced his mind to refocus. Brydon was right. The soldiers they’d just lost should be the only thing on Nayez’s mind. “Six. The strike team was already inside. Thirty seconds later and I would have been too.” Remorse and guilt pelted Nayez’s composure like echoes of the debris storm. Anything that happened in the field was his responsibility. He should have studied the situation more closely, or listened to his instincts sooner. There had to be something he could have done to—
“Stop it,” Brydon said firmly, knowing him too well. “Like all of the other times they’ve ambushed us, this wasn’t your fault.”
“If I’d been doing my job, they wouldn’t have been able to surprise us. Losing an entire strike team is inexcusable.”
Brydon shook his head. “This came out of nowhere. You did nothing wrong.”
“I don’t think that will comfort the brothers and cousins of the six soldiers I just lost.” He knew Brydon meant well, but Nayez had always taken responsibility for his actions, and he would do so now.
“Understood,” Brydon relented. “You can blame yourself, but I’m blaming Vixen. The resistance should have fizzled out when Chris Phaeton was arrested. Instead, that bitch has kept hostilities festering endlessly and needlessly.”
Nayez glanced at Emily in time to see her cross her arms and take a step back. They were still trying to determine what role, if any, she played in the resistance. Even if her role was minimal, her sympathies were pretty damn obvious.
Lahval returned with the medkit, so Nayez didn’t confront her. There would be time for that once the wound in his leg was treated.
After pulling off Nayez’s boot, Lahval spread a towel under his foot. Brydon opened the medkit and cleaned away the blood and dirt with a sterile cloth. Once Nayez’s calf was clean, Brydon hit the entire area with the beam from a UV light wand.
“Shouldn’t you take him to a doctor?” Emily objected, but remained back as the other two worked. She watched closely, compassion furrowing her brow.
Nayez was pleased by her concern. Maybe they had some hope of claiming her after all.
“Brydon knows what he’s doing,” Lahval assured her without looking up.
Brydon sprayed an analgesic over the gash, then carefully inserted a pair of forceps. The spray deadened much of the pain, but the pressure was uncomfortable and the occasional spike of pain stabbed through his calf. Nayez hissed as Brydon struggled to capture the shard.
“You’re hurting him,” Emily said. “Isn’t there a stronger numbing agent?”
Nayez smiled. In the field, he’d had wounds stitched shut and bleeding stopped with a hot knife blade and there had been no anesthetic at all. This was nothing. “Relax, angel.” Nayez dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. “It’s just a scratch.”
Brydon finally locked on to the stray piece of debris and removed it from Nayez’s leg. A few drops of his blood closed the wound and Nayez was finally able to relax. Brydon carefully blocked Emily’s view as he released the blood from his palm, but she saw the result.
“What did you just do?” She rushed over to Nayez and examined his leg. The wound had healed so completely it was almost impossible to see where the flesh had parted. “Even a regen-pod can’t heal that fast. What did you use on his leg? Was it some sort of nanites, or did you do this all by yourself?”
The three males looked at each other, but no one spoke. In his youth, Brydon had been taken into ‘protective custody’ by the Kobar government and held at a secret location for two and a half years because of his extraordinary healing abilities and the regenerative properties in his blood. His family’s search continued long after everyone else had given up. His father assembled a private army of highly trained operatives, even led a brutal offensive himself once Brydon was located. Eleven soldiers lost their lives as they rescued the traumatized youth. Brydon’s father had been among the fallen, so Brydon felt the weight of their sacrifice to this day.
After the destruction of Kobar, Brydon realized that there were only three people left alive who knew about his abilities: Nayez, Lahval, and Jesorax. He swore each to secrecy and never used his abilities unless the situation could be carefully controlled. Guarding his secret created a bond between the four males that grew stronger with each passing year.
Brydon was no longer a target, but captivity and the loss of his father at such a crucial time in his life left him emotionally distant and extremely untrusting. The annihilation of Kobar had only reinforced those qualities.
Pushing to his feet, Brydon faced Emily as he wiped his hands on a disposable cloth. “Our mate has a right to understand what just happened. Our lottery girl does not. Are you ready to seriously consider our claim?”
Nayez and Lahval exchanged surprised looks as Lahval asked, “You told her?”
“I was tired of pretending that this is just sex. Aren’t you?” Brydon spoke to Lahval, but his gaze never left Emily.
“I am,” Lahval admitted, “but you refused to let me tell her when I suggested honesty.”
“I changed my mind. She needed to know why she adapted so easily to being dominated, and why she craves pain,” Brydon insisted. “They all do.”
“You told her about Project Evolution?” Nayez wasn’t opposed to the revelations. He was just shocked by Brydon’s complete reversal. What had triggered the shift in Brydon’s attitude? This was the first real indication that Brydon was softening toward Emily.
“If you honestly believe we have a right to know, will you let me tell my mother?” Emily challenged. “She can call a press conference and inform every female on Earth.”
“New Kobar, and all that would accomplish is to bring about more of what transpired today,” Brydon predicted. “The resistance would be emboldened and more innocent soldiers would die.”
“Some would argue that Kobar soldiers are not innocent,” she muttered just loud enough to make sure they heard.
Brydon closed the distance between them with two long strides. “Would you like to know what I was doing when you walked into my office this morning?”
“It sounds like you’re going to tell me even if I say no.” She stared up at him, gaze slightly narrowed. Her expression wasn’t openly defiant, but close.
“I was searching for connections between your foundation and rebel activities.”
Her eyes widened for a millisecond before she smoothed her expression. “I run a network of charities, primarily orphanages. We have nothing to do with the resistance.”
Nayez watched Brydon interact with Emily. It was like an emotional dance. Brydon stalked her, challenged her, and Emily pushed back just hard enough to keep him interested. Brydon could deny what he was feeling all he liked, but he was in the grip of bonding fever just like the rest of them.
“That’s what I thought, at first.” He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her closer until her lower body was flush with his. She leaned back slightly, maintaining eye contact. “You help orphans and provide food for those unwilling to accept our assistance. How could such a selfless person be guilty of anything? But the deeper I dug, the guiltier you appeared. The last five rebel attacks have been within a fifty-mile radius of warehouses that you either own outright or share with others. Two attacks took place within blocks of an actual orphanage. You might not consider yourself a rebel, but you’re giving them a whole hell of a lot more than moral support.”
She just stared up at him silently for a long, tense moment. “Are you expecting me to deny it?”
“You already did. I asked you if you were part of the resistance and you told me no. That, my dear, is called a lie. And lying to your master is a serious offense.”
She shook her head, chin lifting even more. “What I told you is absolutely true. I said I would not directly participate in anything that would humiliate my mother. I have not, nor would I ever change that position. I’m not a rebel.”
“Word games.” He released her hips and began an intimidating orbit around her tense form. “I’ll be more specific this time. What is the real name of the rebel who calls herself Vixen?”
“I have never met Vixen,” she told him, staring straight ahead.
“That is not what I asked.”
She tilted her head and followed Brydon’s progress until he walked out of her field of vision. “How could I possibly know her name if I’ve never met the woman?”
“Did you know about today’s trap?” Nayez asked angrily, not interested in verbal foreplay.
She looked right at him and insisted, “I knew nothing about it, Sir. I would never have put you in danger. I would not have stood by and done nothing, if I had any idea that your strike team would die.”
Nayez accepted her claim with a tense nod then stood as well. “I need to notify their cadres. I do not want anyone to hear about the explosion on some fucking news feed. They deserve to hear it from me.”
Brydon nodded then motioned toward Emily. “We’ll be upstairs when you’re finished. This conversation has just begun.”