Kyra lost all track of time. Her days were spent on routine tasks she could do without thinking. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to function at all. She walked around in a lust-driven fog, either replaying what they’d done the previous night or anticipating the evening to come.
The twins were firm in their belief that Mating, penetrating the female they’d chosen with their manhood, was a very special rapture to reserve until they felt the Bond with her. Although she ached to have them bury their hot hard cocks in her pussy, Jax and Jynn were creative lovers. Night after night, they introduced her to new ways to give and receive pleasure.
But she found their domination the most thrilling.
Last night, they’d been especially masterful. Jax made her kneel over him on the bed facing his groin while he licked her pussy. Jynn was behind her, playing with her ass. She was so aroused by what they were doing and the intoxicating gyron wafting off his thick, hard manhood, she bent and took him in her mouth.
Jax pulled away. Both twins stopped what they’d been doing.
“Did I tell you to suck my cock?”
She stared at him, wordlessly, shocked by his stern tone.
Jynn gave her ass a harsh whack. “Your Master asked you a question.”
“N-no, my lord,” she stammered.
“You know our rules. You are not in control. Every time you try to take over, you will be punished.”
Jax strapped her to the bench, and Jynn got out the oral trainer. They made her wear it while they took turns spanking her.
When they let her up, she had to suck them off one at a time while they teased her pussy and clit. But they stopped before she came.
“You don’t get rewarded when you break the rules,” Jax announced. “I suggest you be a very good girl tomorrow.”
The scene played so vividly in her mind that Dagon’s voice booming out on the bridge came as a shock. Lost in erotic daydreams, she’d forgotten all about the mission.
“My lords, we’ve been cleared for landing on Botryl XR.”
Chapter Seven
The narrow streets of Botryl XR teemed with life. Kyra glanced around nervously, trying to take shallow breaths as she followed the hooded creature down a dark lane that stank of various bodily functions. The planet drew some of the galaxy’s most unsavory characters, all gathered together in the name of commerce.
But this commerce was the stuff of nightmares. Botryl XR’s primary players traded in sentient life forms. That’s how she’d heard some of them describe their business. As far as Kyra was concerned, couching it in fancy terms didn’t change reality. Bluntly speaking, the entire planet of Botryl XR was a giant slave market.
The creature glanced back to make sure she was still following him. “I’m sorry,” he squealed in his odd high-pitched voice. “I know it smells like excrement, but this is the shortest route. Trust me, you don’t want to be out on these streets any longer than necessary. Try and cover up a little more,” he added.
She pulled the hood of the cloak he’d given her closer, to hide her face, and almost gagged. The rough fabric didn’t smell much better than the stone paving under her feet.
She lowered her voice, trying to sound tough. “Just take me to them – and, I warn you, if they’re not what you said they were, you’re not getting a dime of the exorbitant finder’s fee I agreed to.”
“Yes, mistress. I’m sure you’ll be pleased. You’ll have your choice of high quality, disease-free human females.” The creature stretched out one claw-like hand, beckoning her to come closer. He lowered his voice. “You’re fortunate that I overheard the conversation between the innkeeper and those huge beings you were with. My lord has been holding the merchandise you’re about to see off the market, waiting until several very good customers could get here for a private auction. One of them canceled at the last minute, so there’s a slot open for a new bidder in today’s auction.”
He started down the lane again, talking all the while, and she had to trot to keep up with him. Trot. Yes, that’s it. She’d been racking her brain for the perfect word to describe his gait. He trotted rather than walked, in a jerky, swaying motion, making it look as though he wasn’t used to moving around on two legs. And that gray claw-hand? It was hard to tell in the dim light, but now that she thought about it, she was almost certain it was covered in scales. She shuddered and vowed not to look too closely at the face under the hood.
“I’m sure you’ve heard you can get anything you want at one of Botryl XR’s famous auctions, anything from a well-trained domestic servant to that pair of conjoined sister sluts sold last moon cycle. Double heads, double upper torsos, narrowing into one lower body. They could fuck two males at once, one in each hole, and suck off two others, while simultaneously jacking off four more, one with each hand.” He let out a high-pitched giggle. “I imagine it gets rather crowded at times!”
He leaned toward her, as though they were sharing girlish confidences, and nearly lost his balance. Before she could avert her eyes, she caught another glimpse of the sharp, bony appendage as he made a wild grab for her arm. Definitely scales. Her stomach lurched.
“It was a private sale,” he went on, “but just between you and me, the owner of a very exclusive Rapture Dome bought them. Being in the business yourself, I’m sure if I mentioned his name, you’d recognize it. With their unique qualifications, the girls fetched a record price. Afterwards, he bragged that he’d have happily paid twice as much, since they can host an entire orgy single-handedly – or rather, quadri-handedly.” The creature made a harsh snorting sound she assumed was his version of a belly laugh.
When she didn’t respond to his attempt at humor, he huffed a little and hurried on down the lane. Kyra breathed a sigh of relief. From his remarks, it sounded like the alien bought her cover story.
He’d been hunched over a barstool at the last inn they visited. She’d slipped away to use the bathroom while Jax and Jynn questioned the innkeeper. When she came out, the little creature in the dirty floor-length cloak was huddled against the wall across from the door, waiting for her. She started past him, trying to give him a wide berth.
“Mistress,” he hissed. “I have what you seek. Females. Human females. I have two, along with a lovely assortment of other aliens. There’s even a bald Tharan I’ll bet your guards would love.”
She started to speak, but he waved his cloaked arms frantically. “Sssh! No one must know. My lord owns them. He makes a living buying and selling the very best sentient life forms. This lot is especially valuable so he keeps them hidden in a secret location. There are dangerous beings on this world, beings who would force me to take them to the females then kill me and steal them. The human females are delicate creatures, much too fragile to survive under some of the masters who come here looking for slaves. I’m a serf myself and my heart goes out to them. I’d rather see them owned by a female of their own kind than by some of the vicious beings from the outer fringes of the galaxy. You’re in the business. You know the sort I’m talking about,” he added in a conspiratorial whisper.
Jax and Jynn knew they’d get nowhere asking about kidnapped females on Botryl XR. Every female sold on the planet had been taken by force from her own world, except for the few unlucky enough to have been sold by their fathers or husbands. The brothers decided to make use of Kyra’s insistence on accompanying them by spreading the story that she was a former brothel employee looking to open a high-class Rapture Dome of her own with a fortune she’d stolen from one of her clients. She was in the market for prime females, especially human ones, since they were a fresh commodity in this part of the galaxy.
In the unlikely event someone expressed concern about doing business with a criminal, the twins explained her victim was a high-ranking but corrupt government official. He couldn’t risk hunting her down without his own crimes coming to light, so no one would be stirring up any trouble. The twins thought it would be more believable for them to pose as her hired bodyguards instead of prete
nding to be clients themselves. It was common knowledge in the galaxy that Tharans followed a strict code of ethics which did not include ownership of other sentient beings.
“You say they’re delicate?” She pretended disinterest. “I only want to buy healthy females.”
“Oh, no, mistress, the humans are strong and healthy. Just smaller in stature than some of the other female creatures. And very pretty, too – jussst like you.” The last words were delivered with an odd hissing sound that sent a shiver of apprehension down her back.
“I’ll get my bodyguards and be right back. You can take us to them.”
“Nonono!” The creature sounded agitated. “You must come alone. My lord’s business is a dangerous one. His guards will attack any males they do not recognize, even if they’re with me. Alone, you pose no threat. Bring them along, and none of you will live to see the females.”
He ramped up his sales pitch. “Come, mistress. Inspect the merchandise and make your choices before the best ones are snapped up by one of the other buyers. Then my lord will send his private soldiers here. They’ll escort your Tharan guards to the warehouse to meet you and see that you get back safely to your ship with your purchases.”
When she still hesitated, he added “My name is Cayuib. Everyone knows me here, and they know what an excellent reputation my master has. I’ll have the innkeeper explain where you’ve gone so your guards don’t worry. They can wait here for you. I’m sure they won’t mind the opportunity to relax and have a drink or two.”
They’d mind all right. Jax and Jynn would be furious when they found out what she’d done. But the alien’s plan sounded like the only way they’d be able to check out this lead. Kyra knew she didn’t dare let the twins know in advance where she was going. They’d never allow her to go off alone with the strange little creature. It had taken all her powers of persuasion just to get them to let her off the Luna when they arrived on Botryl XR. The brothers had been dead set against having her accompany them on the search.
“Okay, say you go to a slave auction,” she argued. “How will you know the Daanan female they bring out is one of those Magnus kidnapped, and not someone whose father sold her to a passing trader because he couldn’t find a male to take her off his hands. If you buy her, do you think he’ll thank you for bringing back another mouth to feed? I have to come with you. I’m the only one who can identify the captives we’re looking for.”
Dealing with the Tharan twins was a constant challenge. She’d learned not to argue with them, since that usually ended in a spanking. If she differed with them on a matter, she had to lay things out logically and then defend her position to two Alpha warriors who thought they were always right.
With her military background, Kyra was used to following orders, though she’d risen to the rank where she was the one giving them most of the time. Her free time had always been her own. Now, she spent nearly every minute she wasn’t on duty with two males who treated her as though she belonged to them. No, that wasn’t fair to the twins. They treated her as though she belonged with them. As though they cared about her as a person, not just as an alien they could have sex with.
From what she’d seen so far, females on Tharon were sheltered from worry as well as harm. Cared for to the point of being spoiled and pampered, in her opinion. She’d been on her own since the age of five when her parents died. The Institute kept her alive. Fed her, clothed her, educated her, and put a roof over her head. Although the staff members were kind, they didn’t dote on their charges. She couldn’t count on them to take her side and fight her battles for her if the other kids picked on her. She’d learned to be tough. Self-reliant.
She wasn’t used to being taken care of, and it felt uncomfortable. Kyra knew taking off all by herself with the strange little creature was a foolhardy move. But she was a soldier, not some helpless civilian. She’d been in dangerous situations before. And she wasn’t going unarmed. She had a Blazer from the Luna’s weapons cache tucked into the waistband of her trousers, hidden by the long blue tunic she wore.
So far, this disgusting creature had provided their only lead. He said his master had two human females. The Federation hadn’t opened trade routes in this sector of the galaxy yet. Most of it was still unexplored territory to Earthers. The humans had to be from the Luna’s crew. She knew Magnus had sold Saige to a trader from Botryl XR, along with Dru and Dagon’s Tharan Mate Aura. Could the other human female be their first mate Delta? She’d been one of the first captives the pirates disposed of. Had she been sold or traded away again, only to end up here? Kyra hated to think of the horrors she must have gone through. If she didn’t follow this lead and the females he had really were Saige and Delta and Aura, they could be sold today to an anonymous buyer from the other side of the galaxy, never to be seen again. This might be the only chance to rescue them.
She slipped on the disgusting, smelly cloak Cayuib handed her and followed him out the back door of the inn.
They made their way through a maze of narrow lanes, passing darkened doorways that had her keeping one hand on the Blazer, ready to aim and fire it at the first sign of danger. A moment ago, she’d nearly vaporized a feral creature that had startled her as it scampered over a heap of vile-smelling trash. She’d gone off with the alien on an impulse. Now, picking her way over cracked and broken paving stones in a dark alley, she wished she’d insisted that the twins accompany her, at least part of the way.
He moved faster, now, forcing her to pick up her pace. “How much farther is it?”
“Not far, now, mistress. I’m taking you in the back way. No need to alert the other buyers they’re about to have competition.”
It sounded like a lame excuse, and the hairs went up on the back of her neck when he turned into another narrow passageway.
“That’s it. Stop. I’m not taking another step until you…”
Kyra gasped as an explosion of pain slammed into the back of her head. She stumbled forward and watched, detached, as the pavement rose up in slow motion and smacked her in the face. Then the whole world went black.
Chapter Eight
Sensation pierced the darkness first. Horrible pain, radiating out from the back of her skull. Waves of agony coming in tandem with the beating of her heart. So fierce, she’d have willingly severed her head from her body at that moment to make it end.
Then sound. A babble of voices, all being processed simultaneously by her Tellex chip. The effort of trying to separate them by language into recognizable fragments of conversation made her long to slip back into the black void. She gave up and let the voices flow into her brain and then back out again, nothing more than random sounds.
Something cold was pressing into her back. She rolled onto her side – and fought back a wave of nausea. Sudden movement? Not a good idea.
She shivered. It was cold. So cold. She reached for the collar of the cloak, meaning to pull it tighter around her, but it wasn’t there. And neither was anything else. A stab of raw terror pierced the fog in her brain as she realized she was naked.
Her eyes flew open. The sudden burst of light sent a new stab of pain shooting through her head. She groaned, slammed her eyelids shut, and fought her rising panic.
Eyes closed, she concentrated on taking shallow breaths. Once the fear and pain and nausea were under control, Kyra carefully stretched her hand out, trying to figure out where she was. Her fingers touched a smooth, cold surface. A metal floor? She swept her arm in an arc and hit something. A ring attached to the floor, with what felt like links in a chain running from it.
She wrapped her fingers around it, following the chain until… No! Oh dear God, no.
Now she knew what she’d been lying on, what was pressing against her back when she woke up. Rigid links of a metal chain, running from a ring in the floor to a metal collar fastened around her neck.
* * *
“A fresh one for you, sir. I acquired her a short time ago.”
Cayuib’s voice. The Tellex chip had k
icked in, penetrating the fog in her brain. Acquired her? A flash of rage hit her, so strong it was all she could do not to leap to her feet and charge at her kidnapper.
Instead, she had the presence of mind to stay where she was. Eyes closed. Unmoving. Cayuib and whoever he was with would speak more freely if they thought she was still unconscious. The initial shock had worn off, and Kyra began sizing up her situation. She’d been a fool to go off alone with the little worm, but there’d be time to beat herself up over that later. Right now she needed to keep all her wits about her if she wanted to escape.
“This… brought me… see?… scrawny little…”
The language the other one spoke was harsh and guttural, one she’d never heard before. Even her programmed translator struggled to interpret it, giving her only a few words here and there. The Tellex would be up to speed after a longer period of exposure but, for now, it was enough to get the gist of the conversation, especially since Cayuib’s side came in clearly.
“She may be tiny, but she’s perfectly formed, sir. Not scrawny at all. Look at those teats. Only two, but they’re firm and round, with rosy pink tips. They didn’t poke out temptingly like that when I first stripped off her clothes. It seems to be a reaction to how cold it is in here. I have a Vanuvian customer who would pay well for this one just for the novelty of milking her.” Cayuib let out another of those high-pitched squeals that passed for laughter.
“Of course, Lord Bophe, I value your business above all others. I would never dream of offering this female to any other buyer until you had a chance to see her. I always give you first choice at my new merchandise.” He switched seamlessly from obsequious lackey to hard-selling merchant. “Human females are a rare commodity in this part of the Universe. A novelty item. With the line of work you’re in, I thought of you the moment I saw her. Imagine how many spectators she’d draw.”
Theirs to Tame: A Sci-Fi Alien Dark Romance: Tharan Warrior Menage Book 2 Page 7
