Page 16 of Their Defiant Mate

“Jessica was raped during her junior year at college, and the counselor she was assigned by the university was utterly incompetent. Jess fell into a deep depression and never recovered. My parents and I were powerless to help her. We tried everything we could, everything the idiot counselor suggested, but none of it worked. Jessica took her life five months after the attack.”

“Oh, my God.” Isaac scooted closer and reached for her hand. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”

Tara had heard the words so often through the years that they had become meaningless. She didn’t blame Isaac for responding automatically. No one knew how to react to another person’s grief, especially someone they’d just met. Instead, she continued, “Jess and I had always been incredibly close, so I didn’t deal well with her death. After the fiasco at the University, my parents refused to trust my care to anyone else. They searched for and found a therapist that specialized in victim recovery. She was wonderful. Her name is Dr. Korstan and she runs a crisis prevention center. Working there, helping survivors rebuild their lives, was good for me.”

“Then why leave Earth?” Kyle asked carefully.

“There were a couple of reasons, but primarily everything I did, everywhere I went reminded me of Jessica. I had to get away.”

“This is why Zion asked you to work with Akari,” Isaac realized.

Tara nodded. “I’m not a licensed psychologist, but sometimes all people need is an objective listener. In fact, that’s how I’d like to spend my time once I choose a coalition. Everyone in this village, everyone on this planet, has suffered significant loss and been subjected to all sorts of trauma. I want to help as many as I can.”

Isaac scoffed. “If word spreads that an unmated female is willing to meet alone with males, half the village will line up for sessions.”

She glared at him. “Zion already made it clear that it won’t be allowed until after I’ve been claimed.”

“Good,” Jon reinforced. “Meeting alone with any male is an open invitation.”

“Meaningthisis an ‘open invitation’?” Affronted, she stood up and moved toward him. “I made it clear when I agreed to come here that all I was inviting was conversation.”

Jon stood as well, closing the space between them. “Then why are you challenging me?”

“I’m not challenging you. And I sure as hell don’t want—” The rest of her argument was silenced by his mouth. His long fingers tangled in the back of her hair and his lips urged hers to part. She closed her eyes and braced for the sensual attack promised by his gleaming dark eyes. His arm wrapped around her, pressing her firmly against his body and trapping her arms at her sides. She expected the bold thrust of his tongue, but he teased her instead. Anchoring her head with his grip on her hair, he nipped and licked at her lips, leaving her no option but to stand there and let him.

His teeth caught her lower lip, biting just hard enough to make her gasp, then he went back to exploring her mouth. She could feel his hard cock pressed against her belly, making it obvious what he wanted. What she wanted too if she were honest with herself. Desire washed over her in scalding waves. He was right. This is what she came here for, what she lay awake at night imagining. She panted softly and blinked her eyes open as he finally released her lips.

“You got wet as soon as you saw us, little liar.” His lips brushed over hers as he spoke and then he gave her bottom lip a final nip. “You want our hands all over you.”

“That’s not why I came here.” Maybe not in the beginning, but it was what she wanted now.

“I punish liars,” he warned. “Do not lie to me again.”

Tara licked her lips, heart thudding wildly. Her core ached and she had no doubt her panties were soaked, but she wasn’t ready to admit how much she wanted them. “I’m interested in you, but I didn’t come here hoping you would put your hands—” A startled gasp replaced her words as Jon suddenly sat back down. He maneuvered her as if she weighed nothing, positioning her face down over his lap.

“I warned you.” With staggering efficiency, he unfastened her jeans and pulled them down to her knees. “I don’t tolerate lies. What happened this morning should have taught you that.”

“Stop it! You do not have permission to spank me.” She kicked and squirmed, but it did no good. He was bigger and much stronger. She couldn’t stop this even if she wanted to, which she didn’t. Discipline was part of a Rydarian courtship. Everyone knew that.

“You came here of your own free will.” Jon slowly tugged her panties down, baring her upturned bottom. His fingertips stroked over her cheeks, his thumb teasing the valley between. “I will do anything I want with this lovely ass. Would you like to know why?”

She shook her head and glared at him over her shoulder.

“Because you’re no longer in control.”

CHAPTER 3

Elias grasped the human’s hips as he pounded into her wet and willing body. She gasped and moaned, arching into each hard thrust. Her breasts swayed and she clawed at the bedding, clearly lost in passion. He liked lusty females, but he preferred them with a little more fight. This one—he couldn’t remember her name, Meagan or Mary, something that started with M—had begged for cock from the start.

He slapped her ass, then reached beneath her and twisted her nipples. She cried out and her pussy spasmed. She was close to orgasm, again. Each time Babcock gave her an injection she became insatiable. Tonight it had taken four males to keep up with her demands. After the guards each fucked her twice, Elias sent them outside the cabin. That left him with Juan, and they’d just started round three.

He glanced at the younger man, feeling a spark of resentment. Juan was Armando’s brother and Armando had been Elias’ best friend and beta. But the cats murdered Armando, so Juan took his brother’s place. Juan was intelligent and ambitious. Once he learned Elias’ routines, he would be a good beta. But Elias and Armando had known each other most of their lives, long beforeNuevo Biotech captured them. He’d met Juan a couple of times, but he was simply Armando’s annoying little brother.

Shaking away the distractions, Elias slapped her ass again and fucked her even harder. Her vocalizations became more guttural, more growls than groans. She shook her head and shuddered violently. Elias had positioned her on her hands and knees, hips right at the edge of the bed. He stood on the floor, enabling him to move freely and possess her body more deeply.

She made another animalistic sound and Elias paused. “Are you alright, girl?”

Her pussy muscles clamped down hard on his cock, explaining her vocalizations. He smiled and shifted position as he resumed his fast, hard thrusting.

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