by Ruby Dixon
Pretty Human
Ruby Dixon
Copyright © 2019 by Ruby Dixon
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design: Kati Wilde
Edits: Aquila Editing
Created with Vellum
Contents
PRETTY HUMAN
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Epilogue
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The Pretty Series!
More aliens, you say?
PRETTY HUMAN
Varrik va’Rin is the lord of an ancient noble house. On Homeworld Kes, his bloodlines are unparalleled and he wields an incredible amount of political and social clout. He’s used to getting what he wants.
So when he sees the strange, delicate human known as Milly, he decides he wants her. And he’ll do anything to have her, reputation be damned.
1
VARRIK
I can tell the moment my driver pulls my air-cruiser up to Lady dra’Niiron’s estate that this party will be wall-to-wall with people. Homeworld society is filled with the oldest families, and while this gala will be sure to be filled with nobles, it is also going to be full of lower-caste families who cling to their nobility and look for a way to crawl up the ladder. There will be lots of boot licking and obsequiousness as the males and females of each house look to curry favor for their name.
It’s exhausting. I haven’t even stepped inside and I’m already tired and bored.
But…I must attend. As the head of House va’Rin, Lord Lis’thrion, first of the name, it is my duty. I must reaffirm alliances with house dra’Niiron and consider other potential alliances. It is all a game of names and favors, of secrets, lies and information, and I am one of the biggest players.
I’m also one of the most bored. But it’s to be expected after decades of such events.
“Lord va’Rin,” Lady dra’Niiron coos as my driver opens the door and I step out onto the ornate terrace that leads up to her family’s estate. Flowers and vines are carefully sculpted and teased to cover the silvery balustrades, and fountains tinkle in the distance with delicate wines from exotic planets. The entire effect is a carefully orchestrated mixture of a casual country estate and old money. Lady dra’Niiron herself wears the sweeping, pale yellow robes of her house, her symbol heavily embroidered on silk. Her long hair is swept into a high ponytail that arches between her bejeweled, capped horns, and she gives me a sweet smile, extending her hands out to me.
I take them in mine, noting she has a ring on every finger. Up close, I can hear the rustle of jewelry underneath her collar, even if it cannot be seen over her ceremonial house robes, and I bite back a smirk. Even now, she must coat herself in wealth to reassure herself of her house’s place. This is not just a house party then, but ambition showing itself. I’m not surprised. I’ve been waiting for Lady dra’Niiron to make such a move.
If I had to guess, she’s going to show her wealth and power during this party, and then casually propose a marriage alliance between our two houses. Some jaded part of me suspects she’s expecting me to propose, but that won’t happen.
I never chase.
I’ll entertain the thought if I must, though. As the only adult male in house va’Rin, it’s my duty to procreate and keep the family name—and wealth—at its height. House dra’Niiron isn’t an equal, but they’re growing in power.
“So glad you could make it,” the lady says in her most charming voice as she leads me inside.
“As if I could miss such a feast,” I say drily. “A month-long house party? You are too kind.”
“I know the weather is dreadful back where you’re at,” she says, voice smooth. “All the heat and rain this time of year. I thought, what better place for Lord va’Rin to stay than with me and two hundred of my closest friends?” She smiles again, less sincerely. “Let me show you to your rooms. They’re in the same wing as mine.”
“Convenient,” I murmur.
Lady dra’Niiron chatters as she leads me through her house, and I see all her wealth has been put on display, from delicate ooli vases on tables to ssithri tapestries that hang from the walls. Her home is garish in its decor, but it’s all designed to show just how much wealth she’s acquired. She’s showing off in the hopes of acquiring a mate…and I know just who she has in mind. She gives me another sly look as we head up the stairs.
“I’ve a little gift for you,” she says.
“Just for me? You shouldn’t have.”
She winks, giving me a playful look. “Gifts for all my honored guests, of course. Something I think that’s tailored to your needs or wants.”
“I see.” I admit, I’m curious as to what it is she thinks I want.
I follow behind her as she opens the gilded double doors to what I assume is my chamber. There’s delicate furniture artfully placed in the room, and the finest draperies hang from the massive windows that look out on the city below. There’s a plant-covered balcony with statuesque columns, and in the center of the room itself is a large canopied bed, practically big enough to fit my entire household staff and so many decorative pillows the bed looks crowded while empty. “Quite the set-up,” I murmur, since she’s looking at me expectantly. “Is there a pillow shortage on Homeworld now?”
She titters. “I made sure you had the best room and largest bed. Just in case you wanted to entertain company in your chambers.” Lady dra’Niiron smiles at me seductively. “I’m just down the hall and a mere heartbeat away.”
“Of course you are.”
“Call me Ahiri,” she says, biting her lip in a practiced way. “What may I call you?”
“Lord va’Rin, first of his name.”
She pouts at me. “So stiff. Fine, then. At least let me give you your gift.” She trots over to the foot of the ridiculous bed and picks up a small bundled scroll that I missed amidst the mountain of pillows. It has a red ribbon around the middle and a tassel hanging from it. Lady dra’Niiron—Ahiri—holds it out to me.
I take it. It’s custom for a host to offer guests small gifts, but I know Ahiri is looking for a way to climb socially, so I imagine her gift will be quite showy. I’m not entirely surprised to unroll the document and see the deed to an ancient villa I’ve coveted for quite some time. I like old things, and this particular villa is on a remote island, which I also like. But I can’t let her know that she’s guessed my tastes rather well. “You’ve given me the keys to a crumbling old house. You shouldn’t have, Ahiri.”
The female giggles at me, batting at my hand. “Oh, you. It’s a fascinating place and it cost me an utter fortune to snatch it from the jaws of House ba’Jirol. You’ll love it, even if it needs a bit of cosmetic work.”
“We shall see.” I roll it up again and tuck it into a pocket in the front of my robes.
“That’s all you have to say?” For a moment, Ahiri looks hurt. “I thought it was a rather grand gesture, myself.”
“A gesture that costs a lot of money.”
“As if you have money problems. I know you like archaeological sites, Varrik. I know all the things you like.” Her eyes hold promise.
“You don’t have the right to use my given name, Lady dra’Niiron. Not yet.” And I smile to take the sting out of my words. She doesn’t need to know that I don’t plan on ever letting her use it. I’ll dangle the possibility before her, though.
<
br /> She pouts again, twirling the end of her long, sleek ponytail. “I know a great many things about all my guests, you know. All their…peccadillos. Yours was quite boring compared to some of the others.”
“Is that so?” I keep my tone deliberately bored. Ahiri is about to spill a wealth of secrets, I suspect, all to get in my good graces, and it just reinforces that she’s out to snag a mate with this party.
“Oh yes,” she purrs, extending a hand out to me. “Come. Let me show you.”
She leads me down the hall, exposing the secrets of her highest guests. This lord likes a special illegal plant to smoke. This one has a fondness for parasitic “living” silks that were outlawed some time ago. She tells me all these things casually, letting me know in no uncertain terms that she can find out gossip on anyone and everyone.
“Finally, my crowning achievement,” Ahiri declares, heading to the last set of double doors at the end of the hall. “For Lord As’bro. You’ve heard he has a penchant for alien flesh?”
I have now. I merely grunt, tucking that bit of information away. As’bro is ambitious and it might be useful in future dealings with him.
Ahiri winks at me and then moves to a side door, slipping into a hidden door in the wall. “So we can watch it unobserved.”
Well, now I’m curious. I follow her inside, taking note that if this chamber has a secret door, they all do, and she’ll be spying on me for the duration of my stay as well.
“Ready?” she asks, and puts her hand on a carved shutter. When I nod, she pulls it back, revealing a shaded glass. “This is a mirror on the other side, of course. He doesn’t need to know he’s being watched.” And she looks at me expectantly.
I peer into the room, expecting to see something dreadful.
Instead, I see…her.
My heart stops in my chest.
It’s a delicate female, with pale golden skin instead of the rich blue of my own. She has no horns, and her hair is not long and black and straight like my own, but curling and bright red. She sits on one end of a bed almost as massive as my own, her legs crossed as she stares at the room around her in a slight hint of awe. She’s dressed in an expensive-looking gown made of iridescent silk that shimmers a pale blue to mimic starlight and is all the rage with the nobility this season. The elegant straps of the dress highlight the deep cleavage and rather large breasts down to her curving waist and the small, five-toed bare feet that barely peep out from her rucked up skirts.
Her nose is tiny, her eyes are brown, and her mouth is a rosy pink.
I want her.
“What is she?”
“That thing? It’s a human.” Ahiri sounds very pleased with herself. “Have you never run into one?”
I shrug, but I can’t take my eyes off of her. I’ve seen humans in vids before, and I’ve heard that the black markets peddle flesh of such creatures, but this is my first experience with one up close. I had no idea she would be so…perfect.
“I want it,” I say to Lady dra’Niiron.
She looks at me, aghast. “You do?”
I nod. “Have her transferred to my rooms. I will take her as my gift.”
Ahiri sputters. “What am I supposed to give to As’bro?”
I take the scroll out of my robes and offer it back to her. “Perhaps he’d like a project.”
She makes another unhappy noise. “I don’t like this.”
“Because now I have a penchant for alien flesh?”
“Varrik—”
“You don’t have the right to use my name,” I correct her again, my tone quiet but firm.
Ahiri snaps her mouth shut. “Of course not, Lord va’Rin. If you want the human…thing, she is yours.”
2
MILLY
I scratch at the itchy fabric of my dress and wonder exactly how long I’m going to be left alone in here waiting for my new master. My stomach rumbles, proving that I can be hungry as hell even while I’m terrified. Even though I’m human and these people think I’m some sort of lesser life form, I can put two and two together. I was bought from the slavemaster that kidnapped me from Earth, dragged out of the cage I shared with twenty other human girls, washed up and put in this dress.
I’ve got a good idea of what’s waiting for me, and it’s not pretty.
Absently, I tug at the low neckline of the gown, ignoring the insistent growl of my stomach. Maybe this new owner believes in feeding his slaves three meals a day instead of just one. That’d be a nice change. Whoever—whatever—he is, I hope he’s kind.
I hope he’s not gross. I think of some of the aliens I’ve seen in my short time in outer space and swallow hard.
Pleaaaase don’t be gross.
The doors open and I jump to my feet, my heart hammering. I’m so scared I think I might throw up, but I clasp my sweaty hands together and try not to freak out. The blue-skinned man that enters is in a pale yellow tunic and pants and gives me a rather dismissive look.
“Are you my new owner?” I ask, unable to stand it any longer.
He gives me an imperious look. “I am the keeper of the upstairs chambers. You will follow me and do not touch anything.”
Oh. I guess that’s kind of like a butler. I shiver and quickly follow after him as he turns to leave. In a way, I’m glad he’s not my owner. He looks mean and stares at me like I’m a big turd he found on one of the expensive carpets here.
The guy in yellow leads me down the hall, toward an enormous set of ornate double doors. He knocks, pushes them open, and then bows. “Lord va’Rin, your present has arrived.”
I hesitate in the doorway, then crane my neck, trying to peer inside.
“Go in,” the butler hisses at me.
Right. Okay. I scurry inside, nearly tripping on my voluminous skirts that drag behind me. It’s clear they’ve been made for someone at least a foot taller than me, and they spill onto the carpet around my feet. I pause again, uncertain, and look for the “lord” that I might be given to. There’s a figure by the door, bathed in the light of the setting orange sun, so I hesitantly move toward him. I notice he’s wearing dark blue robes instead of the yellow that the others wear, and his symbols on the hem of his robes look slightly different. His hands are clasped behind his back and there’s a flicking under the back of his robe, and I see the tufted end of a tail next to enormous booted feet. From behind, he’s got the same long, dark hair that the other guy did, pulled into a simple tail that’s tied mid-back, and a massive set of sweeping horns. Same race.
I don’t know if this guy is my master or if it’s another servant. I’m almost afraid to ask.
He doesn’t turn to look at me or acknowledge me in any way, so I move to his side and peer out the window, in case my master’s out there on the balcony and I’m somehow missing the obvious. When I don’t see anyone, I look over at him. “Who are you?”
The man glances over at me. His expression is neutral, his face almost austere. He looks like a man that doesn’t smile often, and for some reason, that makes me sad. His face is sculpted and his cheekbones could be chiseled from rock. He’d be pretty if he didn’t look so bored. “You’re not supposed to ask me that.”
I think for a moment. He’s not yelling at me or making me feel stupid, so I feel bold enough to answer him. “Why not?”
He glances over at me again, his eyes hooded. “Because I am the highest-ranking noble here. No one gets to use my name unless I allow it, and if I answer you, it assumes that I am allowing such a thing.”
“Ah.” I purse my lips. “Well…I hate to be a pain in the ass, but what am I supposed to call you if I can’t ask your name? Is ‘master’ okay?”
“I haven’t decided,” he says, gazing at me.
Well, I don’t need to ask if this one really is my new owner. It’s clear that he’s difficult enough that he’s not used to getting along with people. If ever there was a sign of some rich dude owning himself a little human, I guess that’s it. “So…what’s a rich guy like you wanting with a human ch
ick?”
The guy turns and stares at me with hooded eyes once more, saying nothing.
I swallow hard. “Right. I can guess.” I pull at the straps of my dress, easing one down over my shoulder. Best to get this over with so I can stop worrying about it and just get on with the worst. The sooner I put it behind me, the better.
One big hand reaches out and grabs the strap sliding down my shoulder. He carefully eases it back into place, his fingers grazing mine. I notice he’s got curiously soft, velvety skin and that his arm—even though mostly hidden under his sleeve—is corded and powerful. His shoulders are big and I bet under these long robes, he’s a fit guy.
“Not that,” he says.
“Um…no?” Maybe I misunderstood the whole “clean her up and dress her pretty” thing.
“Is it something you wish to do?”
Oh god, is this a trick question? I lick my dry lips, wondering what the right answer is, and finally decide on the truth. “Not…really?”
“Then keep your clothes on.”
“Okay.” I stare up at him, confused. I’m pretty sure they said I was going to be a slave. The chip I had implanted to help me learn the languages of these strange alien races isn’t always a perfect match, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t misunderstand that part.
We stare at each other for a long moment. He’s really, really tall and next to him I feel very small and vulnerable.
“I have to go back to the party,” he murmurs after a long moment. “I’ve been up here too long already. They’ll be looking for me.”
My stomach rumbles. If there’s a party downstairs, there’s sure to be snacks, and I’m freaking starving. “Can I come?”
He nods.
I smile up at him. Maybe this guy and I can learn to get along after all. Maybe he just wants a friend? A buddy? The human equivalent of a cocker spaniel to his noble lordness?