by Rachel Clark
Tears flowed down the sides of her face as she moaned in agony. Now that she understood what John had been trying to save her from, her heart ached all the more for the man who’d given up everything to protect her.
The door slid open, and she heard two voices, one familiar and one new.
“Yes, Altan,” the familiar voice said, “we’ve prepared her as ordered. She’ll be ready for impregnation activities within a few hours.”
“Excellent. Prepare the viewing room. The Seniors wish to witness this one’s training. They’ve decided to make her an example of what happens when collectors fail to do their duty as ordered.”
Tara tried to bite her lip to stop the whimper from escaping, but it was no use. The drugs overruled her brain, and she gasped as a callused hand slid gently up her leg and closer to her pussy. The fingers swirled in the juices that leaked onto her thighs as a masculine chuckle filled the room.
“Yes, this one is nearly ready. I look forward to watching her beg.”
Tara wanted to growl, wanted to swear and rage at the man, but the only thing that left her throat was another soft whimper as the hand withdrew. She pressed her heels harder against the platform, straining to lift her pussy toward the withdrawing fingers even as she screamed hatred in her mind.
God help her. Death seemed preferable to this torture, but the moment the thought crossed her mind, she discarded it completely. Alec was here somewhere. John would come for them both.
She just prayed she’d be able to survive whatever Grieg had planned long enough for John to rescue them.
Chapter Thirteen
Alec sat of the floor, his arms lifted over his head as the tether pulled tight. His nose ached, his face felt puffy and swollen, and it was only possible to breathe through his mouth, but at least the bleeding had stopped.
He kept his head low as the door opened and several booted feet walked toward him. “Who did this?” an angry voice asked.
“Um…he…um,” a voice mumbled.
“Speak up,” the other voice commanded.
“Grieg did, sir.”
“Where is Grieg now?”
“In the infirmary, s…sir. The prisoner managed to kick him pretty hard in the um…after Grieg broke his nose.”
A quiet chuckle broke the tension. “Rather effective disciplinary action wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes, sir,” the younger voice said, sounding confused.
“Go inform Grieg that he will be removed from the allocation list immediately and suspended from duties until further notice. Send one of the medical technicians to heal this man’s injuries.”
“Yes, sir.” The young guard sounded relieved to be able to leave, and for just a small moment Alec felt sorry for him. He’d been the one to stop Grieg’s attack, so it proved that not all of the collectors were rabid animals like Grieg.
Alec tried to swallow the thick mucus clogging his mouth as he waited for the new person to speak. It felt like ages, but finally the man moved toward him, and a part of Alec wondered if he should brace for another blow. The man had certainly made sure he had no witnesses, and despite the man’s anger at what Grieg had done to him, Alec was not about to trust this stranger.
“Alec, do you know who I am?” Alec lifted his head, trying to make out the man’s features through his swollen eyelids. A callused hand touched the side of his face gently. “We met a few years ago at John’s graduation party. I’m Altan.” Alex nodded his head, not really sure that he did remember the man or not but willing to go along with anything if it would delay another beating. “I’m here with John to rescue you and Tara, but we need to get you medical attention before I risk blowing my cover.”
“John?” he mumbled, anxious to know what was going on.
“He’s safe. I’ve located Tara, and I’ll come back for you as soon as I can.” There was a noise in the hallway, and Altan stepped back quickly. Alec hung his head again his mind racing with possibilities. “Good. Heal this man’s injuries. I’ll be back to take him to the allocation ceremony shortly.”
Allocation ceremony? He could only be talking about Tara. The allocation ceremonies were usually held on the planet. The only reason he could think of to perform one on the ship was to teach everyone on board what happens to anyone who tries to circumvent their authority.
Shit! That meant Tara was already being pumped full of fertility drugs. His hands shook as he tried not to think about how frightened Tara would be right now. The technician healed his injuries without commenting on how hard Alec shook. Anger rolled through him as he tried to draw in deep breaths and waited for Altan to return. If he returned.
* * * *
The longer it took, the more anxious John became. If it had been possible, he would’ve paced his cell like a caged lion. He wanted to growl his frustration and was ready to do anything—bribe, beg, promise the world just to get the chance to save Tara and Alec.
The door slid open, and Altan and a uniformed guard stepped through. The guard hurried to undo the bindings holding John prisoner and then stepped back and let Altan talk. “This is Beiltar. He’s going to help you rescue Tara while I get Alec to a transport.”
John nodded. “What’s the plan?” he asked as he rubbed his aching wrists.
“The allocation ceremony is scheduled to start soon. You are supposed to be chained to the wall and forced to watch.” John’s blood ran cold at the same time anger pumped heat through his heart. They weren’t even going to transport her back to the planet before they began their abuse.
“Wait,” John said. “Does that mean they’ve already drugged her?”
Altan nodded grimly. “She is already in the final stages. We need to move quickly.”
Every muscle, every nerve ending pulsed with the need to rush in and save Tara, but he managed to rein in his emotions, barely. Tara needed him to act with a clear head. If he failed her now, there wouldn’t be another chance.
“Beiltar has been assigned to escort you to the viewing area. Fortunately, the path he needs to take passes where Tara is being held. You’ll probably have to overpower the guards, but between the two of you it should be fairly simple.”
John nodded his understanding as another thought occurred to him. “We need to grab some technology, too. I can build a portable field dampener, but I haven’t been able to find the materials on Earth. If we can’t hide Tara, they’ll just come for her again.”
Altan was already nodding his agreement before he’d even finished the thought. “I’ll detour via the weapons locker. We’re going to need them on the transport anyway, so I’ll grab some of the scanners as well. Do they contain the materials you need?”
“Yes,” John answered quietly as they stepped through the open doorway and went their separate ways.
* * * *
Tara was beyond terrified. It was like her body no longer belonged to her, like she wasn’t the one controlling her limbs. She tried to scream when she heard the door slide open, but it sounded more like a moan to her ears.
She opened her eyes to find John standing beside her, trying to loosen the cuffs around her ankles. But she knew it wasn’t John. It couldn’t be. Her mind and the drugs were tricking her, showing her the thing she wanted most. No doubt the other man would look exactly like Alec. She didn’t even want to look. She knew what she was seeing wasn’t real, so why torture herself with the hope.
As soon as her legs were released she squeezed them closed, rubbing her slippery thighs together, trying to find relief to the overwhelming need that the drugs induced. In her head she vowed to fight them, promised herself that she would resist the need, but even as she thought the words, she knew it wasn’t true. The drugs had robbed her of her self-control, and she had no chance of following through on her anger.
“Tara.” John’s voice reached her ears, and she squeezed her eyes closed in anguish. Would every alien allocated to impregnate her appear as either John or Alec? Would she be forced to endure the drugs’ effects with men wearing h
er lovers’ faces?
“Tara, baby, please look at me.” She shook her head hard, surprised that she had even that much control. As soon as her arms were released, her hands went straight to her pussy, her fingers slipping over her aching clit, her fingers pressing into her dripping slit. She moaned at the relief and the agony and vowed retribution to all involved.
“No, baby. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Gentle hands gripped her wrists, and she tugged against the hold, trying to find relief, trying to find an end to the torment. “Tara, I’m going to take you home, baby. You just need to hold on a little longer.”
Such beautiful words. Every part of her wanted to believe that this really was John, but to give in the temptation to believe made her foolish. She gasped as she was gathered into strong arms and held against a muscled chest. Another man stepped closer, and between the two of them, they managed to wrap her in some type of material, effectively immobilizing her. She whimpered at the return to imprisonment, but some part of her also realized that she could do some serious damage by her own actions in this state of sexual frenzy.
Just a little bit grateful, Tara opened her eyes expecting to see Alec’s kind face. There was no mistaking this man for Alec. She twisted her head, startled to find the man holding her still looked like John. Was it possible it was him?
She tried to say his name, but the words came out wrong, and she started to cry even harder with frustration. Strong arms squeezed her tighter.
“Don’t cry, baby. We’ll be home soon.”
She wanted desperately to believe this man was John, so she nodded her head against his chest and closed her eyes against the tears.
Chapter Fourteen
“Alec,” Altan said as he stepped through the doorway. “We need to move quickly.”
“Tara?” he asked, his worry for her safety overriding everything else in his mind.
“John has her. They’ll meet us at the transport shortly, but you and I have another mission first.”
Alec tilted his head and looked at Altan expectantly, but the older man just handed him a weapon and headed out the door. Alec glanced at the weapon in his hand, hoping that he wouldn’t have to use it. The fact that he had no idea how to use it could be a major problem.
Quietly, Alec followed Altan as they made their way through the corridors. Alec wasn’t familiar with this ship at all, and several times he felt like they’d traveled in a complete circle. Finally, they came to a security door. Altan stunned the only guard on duty and then unlocked the door and stepped inside. Alec followed quickly, dragging the guard into the room, unwilling to get caught loitering in the hallway.
“Jade, are you okay?” Altan asked the naked human woman tethered to the wall by her wrists.
She nodded and shook her head at the same time, and Alec figured that pretty much summed up the way he was feeling, too. Altan undid her restraints and handed her his coat. The jacket practically covered her from neck to knee, but as she stepped forward, she stumbled a little, and Altan pulled her into his arms for a moment while she found her balance.
“I’m okay,” she said quietly. Altan touched her face with his large hand, his fingers trembling slightly as he breathed deeply. Then he grabbed her hand and headed for the door.
* * * *
“Where are they?” John asked in agitation. He and Tara and Beiltar had reached the hangar bay without incident. The entire ship was practically deserted, and Beiltar had explained that all crew had been ordered to the viewing area so that they could not only witness the allocation ceremony but also the punishment meted out to collectors who thought to circumvent the breeding council’s authority.
Beiltar didn’t hint at what John’s punishment may have been, but John knew the breeding council well enough to know it wouldn’t have been pleasant. He held Tara in his arms as she continued to writhe with the drugs’ effects.
Tears misted his vision as she moaned again, the sound unpleasant and animalistic, not the sound of a woman in the throes of desire. Her eyes continued to dart around the area as if she had little control over where they landed or what they saw.
Beiltar signaled to him to keep quiet as they heard the approach of hurried footsteps. Tara moaned, and he pressed his lips to hers to swallow the sound of her agony. She kissed him back enthusiastically, but he tried to keep the contact brief and light. Tara had no control over her body, and he would never abuse the trust she’d placed in him only a few days earlier.
Beiltar stepped out of the transport craft, and John held his breath as he waited for either his return or the sounds of a fight. Neither happened, but the next person to walk through the door filled his heart and soul with such relief that he almost cried out his name.
Alec saw him, carefully placed the heavy sack he’d been carrying on the floor, and hurried to him and Tara. He kissed Tara on the forehead, his look of relief warring with the same anguish John felt. He leaned forward to press a kiss to John’s mouth.
“Is she okay?” he asked quietly.
“She’ll be fine as soon as the drugs wear off.” John knew it was more complicated than that but didn’t want to add to Alec’s worries at the moment. There would be plenty of time to worry about Tara’s recovery once they escaped the ship.
“We managed to grab some weapons and supplies. Would it be okay to give Tara a sedative?”
Relief coursed through John. “Yes.”
Alec dragged the sack of supplies over to John. It looked like they’d practically cleaned out one of the medical storage lockers. He spotted a sedation rod easily, and Alec handed it to him to administer. Almost immediately, Tara sighed quietly and slipped into a fitful sleep, but at least she wasn’t screaming in frustration.
Beiltar stepped back into the ship with a young woman pressed against him. She looked about the same age as Tara but smaller, more fragile, but at least she didn’t seem to be drugged.
“Altan?” John asked Beiltar as the door slid closed. Beiltar shook his head. “He’s staying undercover. He hopes he can find more like us and maybe put a stop to collections.” John nodded his understanding, realizing there was a whole lot more to the story. “We have five Earth minutes before Altan sounds the alarm. He’s headed to Tara’s cell as we speak.” The small transport lifted off the ground and swung around to face the closed hangar bay door. The word “How?” was on the tip of John’s tongue, but he quickly swallowed it when a flash and small amount of smoke caused the doors to blow outwards.
“Well timed,” John said admiring Beiltar’s handy work.
“Thanks,” he said as he flew the little ship through the opening and into space. John noticed with surprise that they were still in orbit around Earth.
“Are there still collectors on the planet?”
“Not at the moment, but they plan to resume as soon as…well, I suppose they’ll resume after all the fallout from your escape now.”
“Any idea where we can hide while I get the portable dampening fields built.”
Beiltar smiled seeming more relaxed now that they were moving. “Ever heard of Coober Pedy?” John shook his head. “It’s a small outback town in Australia. Many of the buildings are underground. The locals call them dugouts, and they even have some that are luxury hotels. I figure if we stay a few weeks underground while we make the portable field dampeners, we should be able to avoid their scans at least until their next collection expedition.”
“Local currency?” John asked, concerned over the practicalities.
“Taken care of. Altan made sure that I have enough money to last several lifetimes on this planet. Spending a few dollars on a luxury resort is not going to be a problem, and besides, after everything you’ve been through in the last few weeks, I think you three are entitled to a little comfort.”
John glanced down at the woman sleeping in his arms. She deserved comfort and a whole lot more, and as soon as the drugs wore off, he was going to make sure both his lovers knew how important they were to him.
Chapter Fifteen
Tara growled in frustration.
“John, I’m fine. Really, the drugs wore off days ago.” For five wonderful, glorious, frustrating days Alec and John had held her and soothed her and comforted her as the drugs worked out of her system.
It had taken nearly two days before she’d been able to use her voice, and she’d spent a lot of time since then trying to reassure them both that she was okay. Unfortunately, they’d taken her attempts to cuddle into them as a sign that the drugs still ruled her choices and had sedated her several more times before she’d been able to convince them not to.
Quite a few times, both John and Alec had soothed her overwrought body by gently sucking and licking her clit until she reached orgasm, but neither man had penetrated her. Now, three days after she got her voice back, they still refused to do anything more than hold her.
Well, she’d just about had enough of their coddling, and things were going to change right now!
“Alec, tell him I’m fine.”
Alec smiled that sexy, gorgeous smile, and excitement zipped through her midsection. She knew he was convinced, but she also knew he wouldn’t make love to her until John believed her, too.
She lifted away from the bed and slipped the buttons of her shirt open as she sashayed toward John. His eyes darkened, and his nostrils flared as she got closer, but he shook his head even as he pulled her into his embrace. Despite the fact that she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t do it, she growled in frustration as he pressed her face against his heart.
“I know you’re okay, baby. Alec and I are very glad you’re feeling better.” She rubbed her face against his chest, enjoying the warm feeling that always came from his embrace. “We just want to be certain that you are making your own decisions and not influenced by the drugs still.”
