Tamed for Their Use

by Ivy Barrett

  The upstairs was much the same as the main level. Nice large rooms, arranged in a predictable floorplan. They entered the master bedroom and Nikki froze. On a small platform rested the biggest bed she’d ever seen.

  Amanda walked over to the unmade bed and tossed the covers up, belatedly concealing wrist and ankle cuffs that were attached to the bedframe by metallic cables. “Sorry about the mess. I wasn’t expecting guests.” She didn’t seem embarrassed however. In fact, her blue eyes gleamed with mischief.

  Rather than mention the restraints, Nikki addressed the more obvious anomaly. “Where in the world did they find, and/or make, that bed? I’ve never seen one that big.”

  “The scavenge crews just round up all the mattresses they can find and cut them into whatever shape they need to create one big bed,” Amanda explained. “The new foam beds work best, but they’re still pretty hard to find.”

  “Scavenge crews? Like glorified dumpster divers?” She knew she was being a negative bitch, but couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this situation was being shoved down her throat.

  Neither Amanda nor Jessica would rise to her bait. They both remained patient and kind. “The city—which is Glenwood Springs, Colorado, if no one bothered to tell you—was evacuated in time to save most of the inhabitants,” Jessica told her. “Unfortunately, most of the city and all the roads leading into this valley were destroyed later and the entire area was declared unsafe.”

  “Then why are we here?” Nikki challenged.

  Amanda picked up the story so seamlessly it was either true or they’d both been told the same lies. “Because it can only be accessed from the air now, the area was proposed as a site for a Ventori/human colony. Earth’s governments want to convince the Ventori to stay even though the Skarilians might have moved on. The Ventori agreed and they’ve worked really hard to determine which buildings are safe and which to avoid.”

  “Does this history lesson have anything to do with the scavenge crews?” The more they made all this seem reasonable, the less Nikki liked it.

  “Obviously traditional supply lines have been cut off,” Amanda continued. “So we either have to import everything we need or find it in the surrounding areas. Most of the buildings on the other side of the river aren’t habitable, but many still have all sorts of usable items, building materials, nonperishable food, toiletries, clothing, that sort of thing.”

  It all made perfect sense, which only made Nikki more resentful. Aliens had started this war, and now humans were turning to aliens to solve their problems. It made humankind seem awfully weak and needy. She expected more from the human race.

  “And speaking of scavenged clothing.” Jessica motioned toward the walk-in closet. “Let’s find something more attractive than that rag.”

  “Shouldn’t be hard,” Amanda predicted with a laugh.

  Nikki looked at the broad selection of clothing. They were all skirts and dresses, of course, because Ventori Defenders wanted free access to their females’ bodies. Who wanted to bother pulling down pants and ripping off panties when tossing up a skirt was so much easier.

  And she might be the biggest hypocrite of them all. She certainly hadn’t minded having her dress removed on the shuttle. One heated kiss from Tarlon and she’d been putty in their hands. And while she was being brutally honest with herself, it wasn’t just this ‘rut’ phenomenon either. Tarlon had fascinated her, filled her fantasies and dreams with all sorts of erotic images long before his kiss set her senses on fire.

  Sintar, on the other hand, made her too angry to think straight, and still he’d given her the strongest orgasms of her life. That part had to have been mating fever. She didn’t even like the arrogant jerk.

  Amanda pulled a skirt out from the crowded rack and held it in front of Nikki. “This really sets off your coloring.”

  She was right. The material had a subtle geometric pattern that mixed gold, green, and accents of burnt orange.

  “And your pale gold twin set,” Jessica suggested.

  Amanda handed Nikki the skirt and fished out the sweater combo Jessica had mentioned. “Very nice,” Amanda agreed. “Do you want a bra?”

  “Your mates allow you undergarments? I thought they were forbidden.”

  “My mates tried to pull that shit on me, but I called them on it,” Amanda said. “My girls get very unhappy when I go braless for long. Panties, however, are a losing battle. No matter how I justify it, my guys spank me every time they catch me wearing any.”

  “She has a stash hidden away to keep things interesting,” Jessica said in a stage whisper.

  “You like being spanked?” Nikki’s sharp tone reflected her disbelief.

  Amanda shrugged as she rummaged through the built-in dresser. “I must. I keep misbehaving.”

  Jessica chuckled, but Nikki found Amanda’s attitude disturbing. Had her males brainwashed her? Nikki’s one and only experience with spanking had been humiliating and painful. There was no way she’d intentionally misbehave knowing she’d be spanked.

  Turning from the dresser, Amanda handed Nikki a stack of folded bras. “One of those should fit.”

  Nikki quickly looked through the stack and found her size. “These still have tags on them. I thought the clothes came from the surrounding houses?”

  “Most did, but the scavenge crews raided the shopping mall across the way too,” Amanda explained. “All the stores were just abandoned. I guess the retailers decided it would cost too much to airlift the merchandise out.”

  “There are so few cities left. Everything has been consolidated. Entire states are uninhabited now.” Jessica sounded sad for the first time since Nikki met her. Maybe her Prozac was wearing off.

  “Anyway,” Amanda smiled and pointed toward the other side of the bedroom. “Go try this on in the bathroom and let us know what you think.”

  Happy for a few minutes away from their cheerfulness, Nikki gathered all the components of the outfit and went into the bathroom. She turned her back to the large mirror as she unfastened the belt, then slipped on the skirt before discarding the torn dress. The bra fit well and so did the sweater shell. She glanced at her reflection with a sigh. The colorful skirt really did complement her coloring, and the modest tank top was the perfect accompaniment. She pulled on the matching cardigan and turned around. Her face was unusually pale, but her hair didn’t look as bad as Jessica had made it sound. It was messy, yes, but Nikki wouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion of sex hair. Unless the other person was also wearing a torn dress.

  Shaking her head and balling up what was left of the ugly dress, she stuffed it in the nearby trash can. Then she picked up Tarlon’s belt and opened the door.

  Jessica and Amanda turned toward her as she stepped into the bedroom. They’d been deep in conversation about God knew what.

  “That looks great,” Amanda said.

  “Would you like me to French-braid your hair?” Jessica offered.

  Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. It would tame the wavy mass and then she could forget about it. “Sure. That would be great.”

  Half an hour later, they headed back to the school, but only made it to the end of the street. Tarlon came out of one of the houses and motioned Nikki inside. “We’ll see you later,” he called to the other two.

  Nikki climbed onto the porch where he waited and he swept her up into his arms. She laughed, unable to help the reaction. “What are you doing?”

  “Isn’t this the human custom when a couple enters their home for the first time?” He didn’t wait for her response before carrying her over the threshold.

  It was the custom for married couples, and she wasn’t at all sure she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Tarlon and Sintar. With a little imagination, she could almost picture herself growing old with Tarlon. He was sweet and patient and made her laugh. Unfortunately, Tarlon was part of a matched set and the other half of the set was harsh and demanding, arrogant and unreasonable. But when Sintar’s image formed in her mind, she
didn’t feel revulsion or fear. Slow, melting heat swept from her neck to her knees, stirring all sorts of unexpected sensations in between.

  Uncomfortable with the development, she wiggled out of Tarlon’s embrace and crossed her arms over her aching breasts. It wasn’t fair to take out her frustration on the nice brother, so she forced all thoughts of Sintar to the back of her mind. “Do I get a guided tour or should I just look around?”

  “If you don’t like this one, there are two others available.” He looked adorably worried.

  “I’m sure it’s fine. I’m not hard to please.”

  He flashed a sexy smile. “You weren’t hard for Sintar to please. I haven’t tried yet.”

  The heat already simmering in her blood began to boil. “End the tour in the bedroom and we’ll see what you can do.” Good lord, had that throaty challenge actually come out of her mouth? What was wrong with her?

  “Deal,” he agreed without pause and reached for her hand.

  Chapter Three

  Nikki looked around her new house, excited yet restless. The floorplan was similar to Amanda’s. The living spaces were on the main level, while the bedrooms were upstairs. Truth be told, she was so thrilled to be away from Protectorate Headquarters that she would have lived in a studio apartment and been content. Having plenty of space and friends nearby was icing on the cake.

  “It’s lovely,” she told Tarlon as she stepped back into the master bedroom after viewing the adjoining bathroom.

  “And so are you,” he countered with a sensual smile. “That outfit is almost as pretty as the female wearing it.”

  She returned his smile, but didn’t take the flattery seriously. Males, regardless of species, would say or do anything to secure breeding rights with their chosen female. “But I can’t help feeling sorry for the real owners. They likely worked really hard to buy this place and now it’s lost to them forever. I feel like we’re taking advantage of their tragedy.”

  He walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His strange, blue marbled eyes communicated compassion and tenderness. Apparently even alien eyes reflected a person’s soul. Tarlon was kind and loving, and it showed. “We arrived as quickly as we could and saved as many as possible. This entire area has been deserted for almost a year. The owners are either long gone or have begun to rebuild their lives in another location. We’re not trespassing, or manipulating the situation to our advantage. We have permission from your government to be here.”

  She let it go with a nod, adding it to her long list of things making her feel guilty. “Where is Sintar? Does he know we’re alone together?”

  Tarlon raised one hand and cupped the side of her face. “I thought it was my turn to prove I can bring you pleasure.”

  Dragging her gaze away from his, she nervously licked her lips. “This has to be more than sex or I’d rather stick with my contract. I can protect my emotions for a year, but you want so much more than that.”

  “You’re right. We both do.”

  “Then let’s talk for a while before we get naked. I want to know more about you.”

  He sighed, clearly frustrated by the suggestion. Still, he didn’t argue. He took her by the hand and led her back downstairs. He moved through the house as if he belonged there, but she still felt like an intruder.

  “Would you like something to drink?” he asked as they reached the stairs.

  “I’d kill for a mug of herbal tea, maybe something a little sweet.”

  He descended ahead of her, then led her to the kitchen and motioned toward the cupboards. “All the nonperishable items should still be there. Is tea nonperishable?”

  “It is.” She looked through the cupboards until she found what she was looking for then threw a mug full of water in the microwave. “If this area was deserted for a year, how did you guys turn the power back on?”

  “Crews of workers arrived in advance of the actual opening to rebuild the infrastructure. We still have a long way to go, but all of the basic services have been restored.”

  The microwave dinged, drawing her attention back to her task. “Would you like some too?”

  He shook his head. “All I want is you.” The sincerity in his voice made her blush. If anyone else said that, she would have rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure how Tarlon managed to sound so convincing.

  Bringing the box of teabags and the now steaming mug with her, she went and sat at the kitchen table. “I know Sintar is, or was one of the ministers, but what do you do for the Protectorate?”

  “Anything that needs to be done.” She shot him an impatient look, so he elaborated. “Field work mainly. I gather information and explore situations, often from the inside.”

  She dunked her teabag with a distant smile. “You’re a spy.”

  “At times. Other times I’m a simple courier, a pilot or armed escort, assassin. As I said, I do whatever needs to be done.”

  “And what needs to be done at Camp Accord?” She took a sip of tea, amazed at how comfortable it felt just sitting here talking to him. She was in a stranger’s house, across from an alien, and he still made her feel right at home.

  “I’ve been ordered to find out why you were kidnapped.”

  Her brow arched at his casual revelation. She didn’t realize the Ventori cared. The drug lord was dead now and all the females had been recovered before any of them were harmed, so she sort of figured it was water under the bridge. “Have you checked out that creep Dr. Narrn back in El Paso? He’s right in the middle of it. I know he is.”

  “We’re aware and we agree that Narrn is a pivotal player. However, there’s a female human involved as well, so we must proceed carefully.”

  “There were sixteen female humans involved and we all want to make damn sure nothing like that ever happens again.”

  “I was referring to the female doctor who assisted Narrn with the examinations.”

  “Have they been arrested and questioned? Are they still in custody?” Like all the others, Nikki had been subjected to an overly in-depth examination and invasive tests that had no place in a carnal companion screening. She didn’t know what those two doctors had been trying to determine, but it had nothing to do with the program for which she’d volunteered. “Is it possible they know that we’re genetically compatible with you guys?”

  “It’s not only possible, it’s likely. We’re relatively sure your genetic compatibility is at the center of their scheme.”

  “Which is what exactly? What are they trying to accomplish?”

  “We’re not sure,” he admitted. “This is why I’ve been sent to investigate.”

  She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disturbed by the fact. All sixteen of the human females who’d been kidnapped were genetic matches to the Ventori. No one believed that was simple coincidence. So, the burning question became, had Narrn simply rerouted compatible females to his induction center, or was he somehow creating them? “What’s being done about them in the meantime? What’s to keep them from victimizing other women?”

  He scooted back from the table and crossed his legs, sounding a bit defensive. “The chancellor ordered a loyal, reputable doctor to join their team. He’s there to supervise them, to make sure they follow established procedures. They just don’t know that.”

  She shook her head and shoved her tea aside. “That’s not good enough. They basically conducted experiments on us. That can’t go unpunished.”

  “It won’t, I assure you. If both doctors had been Ventori, we would have arrested them immediately. But the human government has put severe restrictions on what we can do regarding human misbehavior. We need irrefutable proof regarding the female’s involvement and we can’t gather such proof unless they think they’re still getting away with it.”

  She didn’t like the approach, but it made sense. “How can I help you bring them down? That needs to happen as soon as possible.”

  He smiled broadly. “I’m glad you asked because what I’d like to do might be less than pleasa
nt for you.”

  Somehow that didn’t surprise her. Nothing about Dr. Narrn had been pleasant. “What do you have in mind?”

  “I’d like to visit Dr. Narrn unexpectedly and tell him you triggered ridonous in Sintar and me.”

  “What’s ridonous?”

  “Bonding fever.” Her expression must not have registered her understanding because he tried again. “It’s most commonly referred to as rut.”

  She’d definitely heard that term and experienced the effects firsthand. “How will that help us catch them doing whatever it is they’re doing?”

  “I’m curious to see how they explain our condition. Only a mate can trigger rut. They’ll probably act like they know nothing about it, but so will we.”

  “And how does that lead to their arrest and conviction?”

  Her impatience made him smile. “It won’t, but the information I gather while we’re inside the induction center and the recording devices I plant will finally give us the proof we need.”

  “So the visit is a front, a plausible reason for us to be at the center at all.”

  “Exactly.”

  The more she thought about going back to that place, the less comfortable she became with the idea. She’d been spared some of the more painful procedures, but she’d felt threatened, unsafe the entire time she’d been at the induction center. The last thing she wanted was to be in the same room with Dr. Narrn and his female shadow. The woman hadn’t said much. She just watched and listened with almost gleeful enthusiasm.

  Clearly noticing her distress, Tarlon skirted the table and drew her up out of her seat. “I will be with you the entire time. No one will harm you. I won’t allow it.”

  She smiled then looked away, comforted by the vehemence in his tone, yet confused by her desire to accept every word he spoke as fact. She didn’t know him and knew even less about his brother. So why did she trust Tarlon and want to trust Sintar? It wasn’t just irrational. It was dangerous.