Claimed for Their Use Page 3

  Loax nodded. “I appreciate your assistance.”

  “What did you do with the females?” their carnal companion asked.

  “We turned them over to the high command.” That was where the other group of females was headed, so it wasn’t a complete lie. Gat shot him a questioning look, but Rook ignored it. He had no reason to explain his plans to the Drey brothers or their female. He’d yet to develop his strategy well enough to explain it to his brother. All Rook knew for certain was Jessica wasn’t going anywhere. “As I said, they were carnal companions. If you want more specific information, you’ll have to ask Savator.”

  “Understood. Again, you have our thanks.” Loax seemed almost as anxious to end the conversation as Rook.

  “Because of the complication, this information is free of charge,” Rook said with an enigmatic smile.

  Loax’s gaze narrowed as he asked, “Did you turn over all the females to the high command?”

  Rook just grinned. “As far as Savator knows, we did. I trust you’ll keep it that way.”

  “How many did you keep and what do you intend to do with them?” Rentar looked even more suspicious than Loax.

  Unwilling to indulge either of them, Rook ended the transmission.

  “Would you please explain what the hell that was about?”

  Rook turned his seat so he faced his first officer/friend. Gat had every right to be confused. Rook found his own impulses baffling. No one, Ventori or human, had ever affected him as profoundly as Jessica. “Those females were kidnapped for a reason. It was not a random act. The kidnappers knew where and when to strike and what they’d find when they got there. Someone within our ranks had to have assisted the Mexicans.”

  “I agree with you, but it has nothing to do with us. The high command needs to investigate.”

  “What if the traitor belongs to the high command? The females could be in danger.”

  Gat’s brows arched so high they disappeared behind the lock of hair that always drooped across his forehead. “Then we should have kept all the females. I think this has to do with your reaction to Jessica, not some possible danger.”

  Rook glanced at the privacy shield, feeling deprived without being able to see her. “You didn’t feel it, Gat. It was like lightning. I’ve never felt anything like it, but I have to have more. I have to have her.”

  “She belongs to another pod.”

  “Not if she’s my mate.” The possibility had been hovering in the back of Rook’s mind ever since he touched her, but it sounded ridiculous now that he heard it out loud. “I know how crazy that sounds.”

  Gat studied him for a moment, searching his gaze and analyzing his expressions. The reaction was typical for Gat. He never made a rash decision or jumped to a conclusion. “I have no doubt you had a strange reaction to her, but why did you immediately conclude she’s your mate? The reaction could mean anything. Maybe you’re allergic to humans. Have you ever fucked a human? And simulations don’t count. Had your hand ever made contact with human flesh before today?”

  Rook paused. Maybe Gat was on to something. “I’d heard their juices make Ventori males come so hard they see stars, but I didn’t know other reactions were a possibility.”

  “The Ventori have never interacted with humans before. None of us knows what to expect. Still, there’s one easy way to find out if it’s Jessica specifically or just humans in general. Touch one of the others and see if you react again.”

  “I’m not sure my body can take another dose of that particular drug.” Relaxing back into his seat, Rook closed his eyes. “My cock is just starting to relax.”

  “Then wait until we arrive,” Gat suggested. “There will be plenty of reasons to ‘accidentally’ touch them as you’re helping them off the shuttle.”

  They lapsed into silence for a time. Rook kept his eyes shut and concentrated on relaxing his muscles. Unfortunately, the lull in activity invited his imagination to misbehave. He saw Jessica on her knees, naked and on display. Her legs opened, offering him an unobstructed view of her flushed pussy. His cock bucked behind his armor, not at all discouraged by the unusual color of her sex. Her breasts appeared soft and heavy, the abundant fullness begging for his touch. He wanted to take her nipples between his lips and suck hard enough to make her gasp.

  Her lips parted as he approached, but she made no move to touch him. She simply waited, surrendered and still, unsure how he would choose to use her. He brushed the tip of his cock back and forth across her mouth until she opened wide enough to take him inside. Her soft lips closed around his shaft, surrounding him in moist heat. Her agile little tongue circled his cock head and he groaned, instinctively pushing deeper.

  “I don’t think that’s helping.” The laughter in Gat’s tone drew Rook back to reality.

  The groan must have been audible, Rook realized. “Gods, I need to fuck her.” He reluctantly opened his eyes and the image faded, leaving behind the agonizing ache. “I can’t think of anything else.”

  “Well, we’re still twenty minutes away, so you better get it under control or step into the lavatory and finish your fantasy.” Gat made a couple of quick adjustments, then looked at Rook. “What are we going to do when Chancellor Savator demands you release the rest of the females?”

  “If we’re lucky, he won’t find out, at least not right away. I told the commander of the Rynatta we’d located the missing carnal companions, but we were in a shuttle. He doesn’t know we took any of the females with us.”

  “The other females know,” Gat pointed out. “And the pods that contracted them will know.”

  “They divided into two groups without any prompting from me and no one from the other side wanted to leave their group. I’m not sure what caused the divide, but there was clearly friction between the two.”

  “I’m not sure that will keep them from asking questions. Humans are curious by nature. It might take a day or two, but someone will say something.”

  Rook nodded, knowing his friend was right. He wasn’t fooling anyone with his ploy. Still, he couldn’t let Jessica go until he understood what he was feeling and why. “We’ll have more information by the time Savator catches up to us. And much of that information will come from the females themselves. They must be interrogated.”

  Clearly Gat wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but he didn’t argue. He turned back to the control console and checked their trajectory.

  They arrived a short time later, gliding into the shuttle bay with practiced skill. Though small by Ventori standards, the Lestrra was fast and agile. The ship was also equipped with state-of-the-art camouflage shields, allowing the Fortar brothers and their crew of eighty to sneak in and out of almost any situation.

  Not surprisingly, Dare walked into the hangar bay moments after the shuttle set down. He used his override to manually open the hatch and climbed aboard the small ship. Rook had informed Dare that they were about to host some unscheduled guests but hadn’t gone into any detail.

  Rook released his safety restraints, then lowered the privacy shield.

  Dare strode to the front of the ship, his blue and black gaze skimming over the human females. “What the hell happened down there?” He spoke in agitated Ventori.

  Unsure how much he wanted to get into in front of the females—even if they couldn’t understand Ventori, they could see their expressions and hear Dare’s hostile tone—Rook kept his explanation concise. “We found the missing carnal companions. I have no idea how or why a drug lord ended up with them, but I couldn’t just leave them there.”

  Dare was less than a year younger than Rook and many mistook them for twins. Dare’s hair was darker, creating blue highlights in certain environments. Their features were nearly identical, which was likely the reason Dare had started wearing a short beard. Their eye color also differed thanks to elective surgery. Rook’s were red and black, the natural color for Ventori. Dare had changed the red in his eyes to vivid blue, matching the highlights in his hair. Personalizing one
’s appearance was a popular choice for those fortunate enough to afford the costly procedures. Many altered their hair and eye color. The ultra-rich even colorized their orvattas.

  “Where are we going to put them?” Dare exhaled, then his brows drew together as his mind began to work out the details. Already he’d moved beyond shock and frustration to problem solving. Dare’s ability to remain calm during any crisis was one of the reasons Rook chose Dare for his podmate. His easygoing approach to life balanced Rook’s impulsiveness and quick temper.

  “We have an even more interesting development.” Rook glanced at Jessica then dragged his gaze back to Dare. “I touched one of the females and instantly I was rock hard. It was like lightning pulsing through my entire body. I think she’s our mate.” Genetically compatible females usually matched brothers and first cousins as well as the male who identified them, which was one of the reasons so many pods were made up of family members. Finding one willing female per pod was challenging enough. Recruiting one per defender would have been impossible.

  Gat shook his head. “Talk some sense into him, sir. All he knows is his body had an unusual reaction to a species he’d never interacted with before. The rest is wishful thinking.”

  Dare crossed his arms over his chest, shifting his gaze between Gat and Rook. “Did you touch any of the other humans?”

  “No,” Rook admitted.

  “Let’s start there. Touch a couple of the others and see if you’re reacting to humans or this particular person.”

  Gat smiled. “I suggested the very same thing.”

  “Fine.” Rook sighed. “I’ll see if I can recreate the reaction.”

  “Which one lit you up?” Dare wanted to know.

  “Second row,” Gat told him. “The shapely one with curly brown hair. Her name is Jessica.”

  Dare made an angry gesture then visually scanned all the females before lingering over the one with the curly hair. “Damn. If you’re right, I won’t complain. She’s beautiful.”

  “And spirited.” Gat chuckled. “She was fighting with an armed guard when we dropped our shields. She’s very protective of the little redhead, and she…”

  Gat continued extolling Jessica’s attributes, but Rook needed to know if he was overreacting or if she was truly special. Bracing for another sensory explosion, he casually walked down the aisle. He let his hands brush against one female’s arm after another. He only connected with bare skin twice, but the outcome was irrefutable. His reaction was to Jessica specifically, not humans in general.

  Dare looked at him questioningly as they reached the open hatchway. Rook shook his head, then insisted, “It’s just her. If she’s our potential mate, we have to court her.”

  The females released their safety restraints, but seemed hesitant to leave their seats.

  “You never answered my question,” Dare pointed out. “Where shall we put them? There are only two empty cabins, and they are nowhere near each other.”

  “They’ll feel less vulnerable if they double up anyway.” Rook wasn’t sure if it was true or not, but it sounded good. “I’ll do some rearranging. I want to keep the females close.” Dare’s only response was a thoughtful nod, so Rook said, “Why don’t you take them to the officers’ dining hall while I work out the logistics?”

  “My pleasure.”

  * * *

  Dare turned from his brother and looked at the human females. They all looked exhausted and uncertain. Jessica had her arm around the young one, who stared straight ahead with owlish eyes. Were they related, or was Jessica simply protective by nature?

  He cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “I am Dareintian Fortar, commander of this ship.”

  “I thought he was the commander.” One of the females pointed toward Rook.

  “The ship is commanded by Fortar pod,” Rook clarified. “We share the responsibilities.”

  “Rook is going to arrange accommodations,” Dare explained. “You will follow me.”

  Rook disappeared through the hatch and departed.

  Dare waited for the women to organize themselves into an untidy line, then led them off the shuttle. “Stay close and don’t speak to any of the crew. Most of them don’t understand your language, so you’ll only annoy them.”

  “Where are we going?” Jessica moved to the front of the line and one of the other women took over care of the young redhead. Why were they so protective of her? She wasn’t a child, just a few years younger than the others.

  Curious because of Rook’s reaction, Dare looked at Jessica more closely. She had a subtle beauty, not the sort that turned heads in a crowd. Her eyes were the one exception. Their rich green color pulled him in and hinted at a complicated personality. She appeared soft and gentle, yet according to Gat, she’d faced down an armed guard in defense of another. There was far more to Jessica than met the eye.

  “We’re going to the officers’ dining hall. I know everyone’s tired, but we need to make room for you.”

  “How long will it take for our pods to come get us?”

  The question angered him, and there was no reason it should. Contacting their pods immediately was the logical course of action. “It depends where they’re stationed. Our forces are spread out in defense formation around Earth.”

  “But that is the plan, correct?” She hurried her steps until she walked at his side. “We are to be released to the defenders who contracted us?”

  He fought back a smile as he looked at her. Clearly, Jessica was no one’s fool. She’d picked up on Rook’s possessive behavior. “It’s a punishable offense to touch anything that belongs to another defender, and Ventori penalties are harsh.”

  “Did that answer my question?”

  He chuckled. Her spirit would drive Rook crazy and earn her many harsh spankings, but Dare was charmed by her unique combination of innocence and fight. “You’re in no danger here. That’s all that matters.”

  “I don’t agree.” She didn’t raise her voice, but her posture and expression shouted defiance. It would be quite a challenge to teach her manners without crushing her spirit. Just the thought of all the lessons she had in store intensified the ache already spreading through his body.

  They’d reached the dining hall, so Dare motioned her to precede him. Instead, she moved aside and let the others enter first. Soon he and Jessica stood alone in the corridor. She’d already disregarded a direct order, now she stood, hands on her hips, rebellion burning in her eyes. It was all he could do not to yank her pants down and warm her ass right there and then. The sound of his palm slapping against her nicely rounded ass would echo in the corridor, as would her indignant cries. He could almost hear them.

  “Do you intend to notify our pods of our current location?” she persisted.

  Stubborn little thing. She clearly wanted to play and he was in the mood to oblige her. If she’d challenged Rook like this, she’d be over his knees with her pants around her ankles already. Dare advanced slowly, knowing she’d back up. She did. Her expression remained defiant, but her tongue darted out to wet her lips. He didn’t touch her, was half afraid of his body’s reaction if he did. Instead, he crowded her, invading her personal space, making her feel his dominance, how easily he could take control.

  “Rook rescued you. According to Ventori custom, you belong to him until Rook says otherwise.” Each word was firm and factual, giving her no opportunity to argue.

  Her anxious gaze darted away from his face. She took a deep breath and shivered. Her lids drooped halfway closed for a moment, then she jerked them open wide. Had she caught his scent? Was it affecting her as powerfully as her scent affected him?

  She looked back into his eyes trying to appear calm, but her pupils were dilated and a distinct flush had blossomed across her cheeks. “Are you talking about me personally or all the human females?”

  Unable to resist the temptation any longer, he ran the backs of his fingers across her flushed cheek. Electric currents flowed up his arm then cascaded thr
ough his torso, pooling in his groin. His cock hardened and his balls drew up tight, threatening to release his seed. Savage urges, feral and demanding, pulsed through his mind and body. He wanted to rip the offending clothes from her trembling body and fuck her hard and fast right there against the corridor wall. He didn’t care who saw them or how angry she’d be afterwards. He needed to be inside her so badly it nearly buckled his knees.

  The hunger gradually eased, leaving him breathless and achy. He blinked repeatedly as his surroundings came back into focus. He couldn’t remember moving his arm, but his hand was now tangled in the back of her hair, fisting without pulling. She stared up at him, clearly confused by his bizarre behavior. Then he noticed the deepened flush on her cheeks, the rapid rise and fall of her breasts, and the distinct peaks of her nipples. With his free hand he teased one hard point and then the other.

  “You feel it too, don’t you?”

  She shook her head, so he trapped one of her nipples between his finger and thumb, applying pressure until she yelped and grabbed his wrist.

  “Never lie to me. Never lie to us. We will reward your honesty, but deception of any kind will be punished.”

  She tugged on his wrist, but he wasn’t ready to let go. “I’m contracted to another pod. I don’t belong to you.”

  Shamed by the reminder, Dare released her nipple and lowered his arms. “We’ll see about that.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, looking dazed. “What about the others? Do you intend to keep them too?”

  “We need to understand why you were kidnapped. The Mexicans knew too much to have done this alone.”

  “I don’t know anything about that, and I seriously doubt the other women do either.”