“Please, come.” Mika ushered her in. The other three alien females were gathered there as well, speaking in hushed tones. They fell silent when Kyra stepped into the room.
She was grateful for the Tellex chip implanted behind her left ear. With it seamlessly translating, she could converse with every alien being she’d encountered so far.
“Is there any news?”
Kyra hated to dampen the look of excitement on Yenna’s face. She and her sister Esme sat side by side on the edge of the bed, holding hands. They’d been kidnapped, along with their daughters, when the pirates raided Skiri. Both younger females were among the thirty-one captives who’d been sold off before Cass and a team of Tharan warriors took back the Luna.
“I came to see how you’re doing, now that we’re underway. As you know, the Tharan twins Jax and Jynn are in command of the Luna now. The pirates are all on board the Gemini. When each group of females is returned to her home planet, two of the pirates will be left there as well, to be tried and punished by the inhabitants of the planets they’ve raided. Our people will see justice done.”
The females nodded. The Tharans had given the decision on what to do with the pirates to the alien females still being held captive. Twenty-six of them, plus Kyra and her remaining crew member, Aliya, the Luna’s medical officer. Twenty-two were now on their way home on the Gemini, along with Aliya. The four in front of her had elected to stay on the Luna. The beings they cared most about were still prisoners, and they wanted to be there the moment their loved ones were rescued.
“Over the last two weeks, you’ve all met the warriors who volunteered to come with us on this mission. Tharans are the toughest beings in the galaxy. If anyone can track down our loved ones and get them back, it’s this team.” Kyra didn’t know if that was true or not, but it didn’t matter. She’d have said anything to take away the pain she saw in their eyes.
She felt compelled to add something more. Some morsel of hope they could cling to. “Yenna, Esme... what you may not know is that Aura, the Tharan female who was sold along with your daughters, is the Mate of two of the warriors on board. Dagon and Dru won’t rest until they get her back, and when they do, they’ll bring your daughters with them.”
She turned to the room’s last occupant, a young female from an outer planet in the Krion sector. Magnus had tried to sell her to several brothel owners, but they all declined when they saw the row of spikes down her back. “Solara, the last we knew, your mother was headed to the slave auctions on Botryl XR, along with my friend Delta, the Luna’s first mate, and seven others. We’re on our way there right now. I promise you, we’ll find out who bought every one of them and track them down.”
By the time she left the room, Kyra was drained. She picked up her pace, anxious to get back to the bridge where all she’d have to deal with were diagrams and numbers on holographic screens.
The cyborgs stood, with their backs to her, in front of the wall of glass at the prow of the ship. Just like in my dream. Well, almost. I wish they’d take their clothes off. The thought triggered a shocking gush between her thighs. Embarrassed, she squeezed her legs together and slipped into her seat.
Jax turned when she stepped onto the bridge. “We were about to summon you.” His eyes widened slightly, and his nose flared, as though he’d caught the scent of her arousal. “You have a transmission waiting. On a secure line. I believe it is from Commander Randall.”
Kyra took her place and slipped in an earpiece.
“It’s Cass,” the message began. “I didn’t get to talk with you privately before I left. You’re going to be the only Earther on board the Luna with the Tharans. There are a couple of things you need to know about the males of their race. First, have you noticed anything odd lately? Any unusual thoughts or feelings you have when you’re around them?”
No, not a thing – except for this constant preoccupation with sex. She shot a guilty glance at the twins, just in time to catch Jax staring at her as though he could hear her thoughts. The twins left the window, Jax moving casually in her direction, as Jynn dropped out of sight behind her. Until now, they’d both kept their distance, and she felt an odd little flutter in her belly as he came closer.
“Tharans give off a special blend of pheromones when they’re attracted to a female. It acts as an aphrodisiac,” Cass was saying. “It’s especially potent with human females. You’ll breathe it in when you get near them – and touching them or having them touch you heightens the effect. Don’t be surprised if you become wildly aroused when you’re near them.”
Suddenly, she was aware of a tingle of heat flowing through her body. Becoming stronger with every breath. Jax loomed over her, only a few steps away. His deep-blue eyes locked on hers, and the tingle became a hot flush radiating out from her core.
There was a sudden burst of static in her ear.
“Asteroid shower. Need to wrap this up quickly before I lose you. I need to warn you about one other thing. If a pair of Tharan warriors is attracted to you, they’re genetically programmed not only to Mate with you but to become your protectors. To keep you safe from harm, they’ll take charge. They aren’t being jerks when they demand your obedience. It’s as much a part of them as breathing. Resisting will only make them more determined, both to Mate and to dominate. They’ll enforce their rules by…”
Kyra fumbled with her earpiece, scanning the frequencies to see if she could recapture the last few words. But they were gone, swallowed by another burst of static before the transmission cut out completely.
Jax’s smoldering gaze held her spellbound like a deer in the headlights. She couldn’t look away. She picked up a tantalizing aroma as Jynn suddenly materialized right behind her. The raw scent of clean masculine sweat coupled with something else she couldn’t put her finger on. Something exotic and spicy. She closed her eyes and breathed it in.
Cass’s message explained a lot. The flood of wetness between her legs when she stepped onto the bridge. The erotic dreams when they were in the next room.
But that wasn’t what had her heart racing. She could have sworn near the end Cass said, “Try to resist or… their commands… both punish you…”
Her last few words had come in clearly. “And there’s nothing you can do to stop them.”
Chapter Two
Kyra glanced nervously over her shoulder. Jynn’s eyes were definitely not those of a mechanical being. They pinned her with a hot, dark gaze that let her know a virile male lived inside his cyborg body.
A thrilling shiver ran through her as she caught his scent again. It seemed to have grown stronger. She’d never smelled anything like it. It made her want to put her arms around him, nestle her face in his neck, and breathe it in.
Do you taste as good as you smell?
Jynn’s eyes flashed, as though she’d spoken out loud, and he gave her a wicked smile. “Better.”
She blinked. “Wha… what did you say?”
“I said, ‘Was that better? Jax was trying to filter out the static in your transmission.”
She whipped around and confronted his twin. “You were listening in on my private transmission? That is unacceptable!”
His jaw set. “No. I was not. The filtering module does not require that I monitor the content of the transmission to scrub it.” He lowered the ridge where his brows would have been if his species had body hair, and frowned at her. “Now that the ship is underway, perhaps it’s time we had a private conference with you, Lieutenant Banks. Regarding matters of protocol.”
She swallowed again. These aliens were awfully touchy. “I meant no disrespect, sir.”
Behind her, Jynn took another step closer as he joined the conversation. “My brother is right. We have never had an Earther crew member, and you have never served aboard a Tharan vessel. Setting out an understanding of standard protocols to be observed while on board can avoid future – areas of disagreement.”
“Dru, you have control of the Luna. My brother and I will be meeting priv
ately with Lieutenant Banks in our quarters. See that we are not disturbed.” Jax snapped the order then waved a hand at her. “Lieutenant, please, follow me.”
“Yes, my lord.” Dru replied.
Yes, my lord ? Kyra stared at Dru, not certain she’d heard him right. Would she be expected to act like a serf from Crux Hyperion around these Tharans?
Jax led the way to their stateroom. Jynn motioned for her to go next and followed on her heels. She felt like a prisoner being escorted to her execution. Jax laid his palm on the door, and it disappeared.
Kyra was especially proud of that piece of technology. The doors on the Luna were functioning force fields. When the field was activated, the holographic image of a door appeared in the opening to a private chamber. Each chamber was programmed so the field recognized the bioprint of anyone with entry approval. If an unapproved being attempted to enter, it would be blocked from doing so.
“Better late than never,” Kyra muttered to herself as she stopped at the doorway. If she’d had the modification in place before they were attacked by the pirates, she could have prevented the hijacking of the Luna.
Jax motioned her to step inside. She glanced around then stopped dead, amazed. On one side of the room, a huge bed covered with a soft-cream suede comforter hovered about three feet in the air, with the head centered on the far wall. The opposite side of the room had been turned into a lounge/work area, containing a pair of chestnut-brown leather chairs with a long table behind them made from a thick slab of gleaming wood. If the chairs were spun around, the table could be used as a work surface. In front of the leather chairs sat a pair of benches covered in some sort of animal hide. Zymex crystals set here and there in the walls and ceiling filled the chamber with a soft glow.
“This is…” Kyra stopped, at a loss for words. She hadn’t seen the room since the twins brought their own furnishings and possessions on board. “This is beautiful! It’s so inviting. Not at all like the other rooms on the Luna.”
“When we saw the interior of your ship, my brother and I were…” Jax paused, as though searching for an inoffensive word. “Surprised that your species chooses to spend long voyages in such unadorned surroundings. We made a few modifications, but we can easily change it back when we return the Luna to Federation control.”
“Honestly, I hope you don’t have to. Maybe, once they see these quarters, the Federation can be persuaded to change their rules and allow crews to – what’s the word you used – adorn their private quarters as they choose on long missions. Until now, our military has been quite inflexible when it comes to décor. I think sterile and stern are their bywords.”
“Speaking of stern…” The timbre of Jax’s voice lowered.
Kyra wasn’t sure if it was the deeper tone or the word “stern” that sent a tiny shiver through her belly.
“I apologize if I seemed unreasonably stern when we were on the bridge. As my brother reminded me” – he waved to Jynn – “you are still unfamiliar with our ways. That’s why we thought it best to have this discussion as soon as we were underway and you were officially under our protection.”
Kyra was certain Jynn couldn’t have reminded him. She’d been with them ever since she’d made the less-than-tactful remark, and he hadn’t said anything like that. Or had it been another of those wordless messages passing between them?
She was so caught up with that idea she almost missed his last few words. It took a moment for them to sink in.
“Wait a minute! What do you mean I’m ‘under your protection’?” she bristled. “I’m chief engineer of the Luna, not a piece of cargo you have to deliver safely. I rank directly under both of you, on a par with Dagon and Dru.”
“Not exactly.” Jynn took up the conversation. “Please, take a seat. This will take some time to explain.” He motioned to one of the leather chairs.
She sat down on the edge of the seat, simmering with anger. Jax took the chair beside hers, and Jynn leaned casually against the edge of the wooden table.
“While we are in command of this ship, we consider it a Tharan vessel,” Jynn began. “All crew members of the Luna are under Tharan law. They must abide by Tharan customs and honor our way of life. As guests, our passengers are under no such guidelines. I believe your Federation has similar rules to differentiate between crew members from other worlds and alien guests.” He paused, and Kyra nodded.
“But you are not a guest. As you rightfully pointed out, although the post is temporary, you are a full-fledged member of our crew, bearing the rank of a chief officer. As commanders of the Luna, my brother and I bear the responsibility of caring for our staff, making decisions and setting rules meant to guard their health and their safety at all times.”
He paused again, and Jax took over where he left off. “In addition to being a crew member, you are also a female. A Tharan female, while you’re on this ship. On our world, every female is cared for by twin males. Fathers and brothers when she’s a child, then her Mate. It is the way of every species on our planet. If one twin falls ill or loses his life in battle, the female, whether old or young, still has a strong male to feed and shelter her and keep her safe from harm. Part of a Tharan male’s responsibility is the discipline of our females. We spank them or punish them in other ways whenever they break a rule we’ve set for their own good, disobey a command, or fail to show us the proper respect.”
Spank them – or punish them in other ways? Surely her Tellex was translating incorrectly. She’d heard of spanking. An archaic form of punishment, delivered most commonly on the bare buttocks with the palm of the hand or a flat wooden implement, used to control unruly Earther children. It had been deemed unacceptable long ago. They couldn’t possibly be referring to such a barbaric custom. As for “punish in other ways”? What the hell did they mean by that?
She looked at the two huge alien warriors then at the door Jax had sealed shut behind them. Only he or Jynn could open it. Another shiver ran through her, this time a twinge of fear. Jax had apologized for being stern, but he had definitely looked pissed back on the bridge. Had they brought her here to punish her for not showing them proper respect?
She was alone in this room with them. Trapped. By her own damned device. As chief engineer, Kyra knew the building specs on the Luna backwards and forwards. If she screamed for help, no one would hear her. And it sounded like the other crew members wouldn’t be rushing to her aid even if they did. They were all Tharan males, bound by the same beliefs and the same code of conduct.
She opened her mouth, but before she could think of anything to say, Jax went on. “We were told by Rhynn and Rhom that your world does not have the same customs. They said it was difficult for Commander Randall to accept them, and we understand you may have a similar problem with the way we exercise our responsibility. So, we wanted to bring you here and explain all of this privately, before we ran into a situation we had to deal with in front of the other crew members.”
“What my brother is trying to say,” Jynn broke in, as though he’d run out of patience with his twin’s roundabout explanation, “is that if you are insubordinate or you directly challenge either of us in front of the other crew members again, we will punish you right then and there. Both our rank as commanding officers and our role as Tharan warriors demand we do so. Our honor is at stake.” He smiled gently at her, as if it would make his words more acceptable.
She jumped up and headed for the door, even though she knew she couldn’t open it. “No. Oh, no. I’m out. I resign. You can drop me at the next asteroid station we come to. I’ll hitch a ride back to Tharon.”
Jynn shook his head sadly. “Now, that’s exactly the kind of incident we’re talking about. You just committed two serious offenses. Insubordination by a crew member, compounded with a risk to your own safety as a female under our protection when you threatened to hitchhike with some unknown life form.”
He turned to his brother. “She’s our responsibility, now. After what happened earlier, we cannot let t
his go, can we?”
“You know the answer as well as I do.” Jax addressed his twin as if she wasn’t even in the room. “When training the female, a swift response to early displays of defiance is the best way to assure obedience in the future.”
“Training? Obedience!” She shouted the words then took a deep breath and pulled herself together. She’d get nowhere if they saw her as defiant. It would make them even more set on proving they were in charge with some barbaric physical display of their dominance. She held both hands out in front of her. “Okay, let’s all take a step back and look at this reasonably. You’ve explained your rules and your customs. Now, I understand. As long as I follow your…” She hesitated, forced the word out. “Your commands from here on out, we won’t have any problem, will we?”
Jynn gave a sigh of relief. “That is correct. I’m glad you’ve decided to cooperate. Now, come here and bend over this bench. Since it’s your first punishment, you may leave your clothing on.”
“No, no, NO! You didn’t hear me right. I wasn’t agreeing to anything, especially not punishment!” She shook her head, backing away, and bumped up against the doorway.
Jax got up out of his chair. “I suggest you do as you’re told, Lieutenant. If you continue adding to your list of disobedient acts, we will have to discipline you more harshly. And neither Jynn or I want that to happen on your first time.”
In two strides, he was face to face with her. The next moment, she found herself upside down over his shoulder.
“Put me down!” she shrieked. “Are you crazy? I’m an officer in the Interstellar Federation. You can’t do this!”
“That may be, but on this ship – and especially in this room – you’re a Tharan female. OUR Tharan female.”
He dumped her facedown onto the upholstered bench. Like all the furniture in the room, it was built to their dimensions. Her head hung down on one side, and her feet dangled inches from the floor on the other. Before she could get away, his hand came down firmly on her upturned bottom.
Theirs to Tame: A Sci-Fi Alien Dark Romance: Tharan Warrior Menage Book 2 Page 2