Theirs to Tame, page 1
THEIRS TO TAME
IVY BARRETT
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Afterword
Books of the Kobar Mates Series
Books of the Ventori Masters Series
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Copyright © 2022 by Stormy Night Publications and Ivy Barrett
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.
www.StormyNightPublications.com
Barrett, Ivy
Theirs to Tame
Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson
Images by Shutterstock/anetta, Depositphotos/roman.l.olegovic, Shutterstock/LightField Studios, and iStock/powerofforever
This book is intended for adults only. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.
CHAPTER 1
“We cannot elude them any longer,” Fanaris’ deep voice had never sounded so resigned. “The hunters are approximately ten minutes behind us. We must decide how to proceed.”
“Fuck you, freak,” Sam Caldwell snarled. “I’d rather go down fighting.”
“Stop it,” Tori Somersby snapped. She was pressed between the two powerful males as they huddled in the forest for warmth.
She wasn’t sure how the Kobar had found her headquarters. One minute she had been planning the upcoming raid with Fanaris and Sam, and the next hunters swarmed the mountain hideout. She hadn’t had time to grab anything but the emergency pack she kept by the back door. She didn’t even have a decent coat. They piled into her car, but an automobile was no match for any of the Kobar ships. And hunter ships were fast and agile. A well-aimed shot from a hunter disabled the car and forced the desperate humans to brave the chill of a Rocky Mountain night on foot.
“I do not fear death, human.” Fanaris echoed Sam’s derisive tone. They hated each other and had never pretended otherwise. “The hunters will kill us, but Vixen is their target. They must take her alive.”
Vixen, Tori’s alter ego, was acting leader of the human resistance and the ruthless Kobar allowed no opposition of any kind. She must be humbled, punished, and interrogated. She must become an example for anyone who dared to defy the Kobar invaders. Every knee would bow eventually. Defiance resulted in pain.
“What do you suggest, oh wise and noble monster?”
She elbowed Sam in the ribs as hard as she could, but the bastard just grunted. “Stop antagonizing him.” Wise and noble were accurate, but Fanaris was no monster. Even if his disfigured face and massive size made him look like one. Besides, jealousy was at the root of Sam’s dislike of Fanaris and everyone knew it. Sam was in love with her and she spent more time with Fanaris than anyone else. She didn’t have romantic feelings for either of them and had made the fact clear to both. Fanaris had taken it all in stride. Sam had sulked for a few days, but the Kobar hunters brought his protective instincts surging back to the surface. Still, defining their boundaries hadn’t been enough to keep the two males from despising each other. “Fanaris is right. Our only hope is if we split up. They will likely follow me, which means the two of you can—”
“No!” her companions snapped in unison.
“Sam will create a diversion while you and I find somewhere to hide,” Fanaris suggested.
“We’ve been trying to find somewhere to hide all night,” Sam argued angrily. “Why don’t you create the diversion while Vixen and I make a run for it?”
“I am better able to protect her.”
Sam just glared at him. Arguing with an established fact would make Sam look foolish. Twenty plus years in the military left Sam with many lethal skills. However, the experiments that ruined Fanaris’ features also amplified his paranormal abilities. Fanaris only used his power when absolutely necessary, but Sam had witnessed the phenomenon often enough to know that he couldn’t compete.
She turned toward Sam, placing her hand on his shoulder. “You have to run and run now. I’m already caught. We all know it. This cannot be for nothing. Without a leader the resistance will collapse. Go. Keep the dream alive.”
Head shaking, expression tormented, Sam pushed to his feet. “I can’t just leave you here.”
“You’re the only hope we’ve got.” She stood too and shoved him hard. He stumbled back a step, still shaking his head. “Go!”
Sam choked back a scream of frustration as he sprinted off through the trees.
Emotion burned the back of Tori’s throat. She’d never wanted to lead the resistance. In fact, she’d been a reluctant participant while Chris Phaeton, her stepfather, was in charge. She agreed with the quest for freedom. The Kobar had no right to Earth and needed to be motivated to leave. But she refused to accept that genocide was the human race’s only option. Then Chris had been arrested and there was no one else to fill his shoes. Well, no one that all the volatile factions within the resistance would agree to follow.
She took a deep breath and forced her spirit to calm. Emotions were weak. Emotions were dangerous. She had always relied on objective logic to be her guide.
Fanaris pressed his hand against the center of her back, spreading warmth through her chest then down her arms. “You’re trembling.”
She looked up at him and forced a smile. From this angle he was gorgeous. With long dark hair and rugged features, he looked like many of the Kobar warriors. But the other side of his face was a mass of twisted flesh that distorted the shape of his left eye and stretched his lips into a perpetual snarl. Blood of the Kobar might flow through his veins, but he hated them even more than she did.
She’d protected one of her loyal companions. Now she needed to protect the other. “You need to hide and let them take me.”
“Never,” he sneered.
“My only hope of survival is if you rescue me. You cannot do that without assistance—”
“My life is yours. I will never leave your side.”
Clearly, Fanaris was going to be a harder sell than Sam. “You’re not listening.” She hardened her expression and made her voice as cold as her hands. “I would rather not remain a Kobar prisoner forever. I expect you to get me out of this mess, but you can’t do that here and now.”
His head snapped up, his body tense with sudden alertness. “You’re too late, Tori. They’re already here.”
As if to confirm his statement, a pulse of energy whizzed past Tori’s head and struck Fanaris in the chest. He growled, staggered back a step, then shook it off. Another energy pulse arced toward him, but Fanaris was ready this time. He ducked and twisted, positioning himself in front of her.
She pulled the gun from the back of her pants and fired around him, aiming into the shadowy trees from which the pulses came. They had rested in this thicket because it provided cover. Unfortunately, the branches also blocked out the moonlight. The hunters were likely wearing flex-armor, which meant they could see in the dark. Fanaris could see better than she could, but they were still disadvantaged.
The ground rumbled and the night creatures chattered wildly. The hairs on the back of Tori’s neck prickled half a second before Fanaris pushed her aside. She looked back angrily then felt her eyes widen. The space all around him glimmered and glowed as if a swarm of fireflies had encircled him. He bent to one knee and splayed his fingers against the earth, forcing energy particles into the ground.
Bursts of energy shot from multiple directions, all aimed at Fanaris. He didn’t seem to notice as the firefly aura effortlessly absorbed the extra energy.
The ground bucked and rippled, moving rapidly toward the surrounding trees. She leapt out of the way as the controlled disruption passed. She’d seen hints of Fanaris’ power, but nothing like this.
More shots came from the trees. She fired back, but the hunters were clearly focused on Fanaris.
A crash sounded in the darkness, then branches snapped and animals shrieked as trees and bushes shot high into the air.
Muffled cries echoed in the darkness as gravity brought the forest bomb crashing back down. Three Kobar hunters rushed into view, all of them repeatedly looking back.
Tori targeted the one nearest her, but his armor deflected her bullets. Fanaris staggered to his feet, throwing balls of energy at the other two hunters. One hunter lunged for her, but Fanaris toppled a tree with the wave of his arm, blocking the hunter’s path.
As chaos ebbed and the hunters advanced, Tori accepted reality. The only escape was if Fanaris managed to kill all three hunters. The chances of that were minuscule. But the chances that the hunters would kill him multiplied with each step they took.
Fanaris’ movements slowed and the time it took him to gather energy grew.
“Fanaris, stop!” She placed her gun on the ground then raised both hands in the air.
Chest heaving, eyes wild, Fanaris looked at her in disbelief.
“We can’t win. They will kill you.”
“I don’t care,” he cried. “I will gladly lay down my life.”
“It won’t matter. The result will be the same. As soon as they found our hideout, they won.”
&nb
The glow surrounding Fanaris’ fingers sputtered out and he slowly lowered his arms.
“We live to fight another day,” she whispered, reaching over to give Fanaris’ hand a firm squeeze.
He stared straight ahead, jaw set, every muscle in his body tense.
Obviously, he was not happy with her decision. Surrender was not in his nature.
“Restrain him.” The apparent leader motioned the other two toward Fanaris as he approached Tori. “You just saved his life.” He pulled her hands in front of her and secured her wrists with magnetic restraints.
“I’m aware.”
The hunters looked identical in their flex-armor. Mirrored visors concealed their faces. At the moment, their suits were dark greenish gray. But like chameleons, flex-armor took on the color of its surroundings.
Chris insisted that knowing one’s enemy was essential and Tori agreed. They had both been injected with translator nanites so they could understand the Kobar when they spoke to each other. Learning their written language was much more complicated, but Tori was trying hard to accomplish that too.
She also spent hours researching their laws and traditions as well as their technology. They weren’t the mindless savages so many humans believed. They had strict codes of conduct and passionate beliefs. Understanding their justifications didn’t change reality, however. The Kobar had invaded Earth. They had no right to be here, and the resistance would do whatever they must to rid the planet of the incursion.
“Shackle the mutant’s feet and gag him,” the leader persisted in Kobar. “I want no more trouble out of him.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Tori tensed. This male was an alpha hunter? According to her research, there were only six on the entire planet. Why would they have sent an alpha hunter after her? The resistance had struggled since Chris’ arrest. She had done her best to keep the network operational, but her goal had always been survival until Chris returned. Chris Phaeton was the power behind the resistance. Without him they lacked the connections and resources to accomplish more than annoying guerilla attacks. Chris owned and operated a massive pharmaceutical company. He knew powerful people all over the world that were ready and willing to assist the resistance as long as they could do so from the shadows. None of those people would risk their lives and livelihoods for his stepdaughter.
The two lesser hunters approached Fanaris with obvious reluctance. His hands were already bound, but they had witnessed a brief demonstration of his power. One held a gag, the other ankle restraints with a length of chain connecting them.
Fanaris growled, eyes narrowed in warning. There was no way he would allow himself to become that helpless without a fight.
She felt a slight pressure against her temple as the alpha warned, “Behave or she dies.”
Holy shit, he was threatening her with his blaster. Her gut knotted and she held perfectly still.
“You will not kill her and we both know it,” Fanaris said calmly.
“You’re right.” The alpha shifted his blaster from her to Fanaris. “You on the other hand…”
Fanaris hesitated. Most were too distracted by his scars to notice how easy his expressions were to read. Tori saw frustration, anger, a blip of resignation, and then unmovable stubbornness, all in the span of a heartbeat. He mouthed the word, “Sorry,” then snapped the wrist restraints and knocked one hunter’s head back so he could grab his throat.
The alpha fired, but the energy pulse barely slowed Fanaris’ movements. He ripped out the hunter’s throat, then snatched the blaster from his hand as he fell to the forest floor. Fanaris fired on the second hunter, who seemed frozen by disbelief. The blast obliterated his visor and created a bloody crater where his face should have been. Leaping over the hunters, Fanaris charged, head lowered, toward the alpha.
Ignoring the blaster in his hand, the alpha raised his other arm and shouted a word Tori didn’t understand. Fanaris dropped to the leaf-strewn ground instantly unconscious.
The entire surreal exchange had taken place in a few seconds. Would Fanaris have attacked if he knew about the alpha? She should have warned him. Should have—it wouldn’t have mattered. Captivity was worse than death to Fanaris. There was more at play here than his need to protect her.
The alpha stormed over to Fanaris and pointed the blaster at his head. “Convince me not to kill him, Vixen. How much does this creature mean to you?”
Fear tingled down her spine. She knew what he wanted, what all the Kobar wanted: information and sex. Her body would be used, there was no avoiding that. But she would do everything in her power not to reveal anything important about the resistance. Too many had fought too long and sacrificed too much to allow it all to come crashing down now.
“Are you my master?” The question proved that she understood their customs and expected him to behave accordingly. If he was not, it offered her a temporary protection against his sexual demands.
“You were awarded to my cadre. We were tasked with taming you, and now I see why.” He still hadn’t deactivated his visor and his voice was cold and emotionless.
She wasn’t surprised by his casual statement. There was no other reason for an alpha hunter to waste his time chasing down a human female. However, he had evaded the real issue. “Are you the cadre leader?” It was an important distinction. If he were not her master, there was only so much he could do until after the cadre leader had finished with her.
“Your master is Xoktal Byrne. I am his third.”
Her relief was instantly replaced with dread. A soft gasp escaped despite her best effort not to react.
The alpha chuckled, though the sound was tight and humorless. “Clearly, you have heard of him.”
Xoktal was the supreme commander’s younger brother. Both males were ruthless, but Jesorax was somewhat hampered by his responsibilities. Xoktal did whatever the hell he wanted and no one ever considered objecting. He took the concept of a jet-setting playboy to an entirely new level. With a spaceship literally at his command, he flitted all over the planet just to fulfill his hedonistic desires. All of this was according to gossip blogs and tabloid journalists, of course. The only Kobar warrior with a bigger following than Xoktal was the supreme commander.
Focusing her scattered thoughts, she said, “Then we are headed to the Exlotiss.” It wasn’t a question. Xoktal commanded the massive warship. It was rumored to be the fastest in the Kobar fleet. That had to be where they were going. She shivered. Her situation couldn’t be worse. Rescue from one of the spaceships was nearly impossible. She should know. Chris was being held aboard the supreme commander’s ship, which was why he was still a prisoner.
“You don’t seem pleased.” The mockery in the alpha’s voice was unmistakable. “I’m still waiting for a reason not to splatter the ground with this creature’s brain matter.”
“You are not allowed to—have me until my master does, so what do you want from me?”
“I want what I am due, your obedience. From this moment on, you will not attempt to escape and you will do as you are told without hesitation or argument. If you fail to follow any directive, there will be consequences for you, but I will also punish your pet mutant. You seem unusually fond of him.”
She looked at Fanaris. He still hadn’t so much as groaned but the subtle movement of his chest assured her that he was still alive. “How do I know you won’t kill him as soon as he is out of my sight?”
“You don’t,” he said coldly. “He just murdered two of my best hunters, soldiers I consider friends. It is well within my rights to take his life. However, I cannot continue to use him to motivate you if he is dead.”
She knew enough about Kobar laws to know he spoke the truth. “Will this arrangement continue once we reach the ship? My obedience will keep him alive and unharmed?”
